The Land of Ulitarra: Early Records of the Aborigines of the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales

Abstract

The title of this work refers to the aboriginal name for "The Good Spirit" in the area loosely designated today as the mid-north coast of New South Wales. The area is more important than the name of a supernatural being, although the aim has been to record something of the time when belief in Ulitarra flourished, before the aborigine's traditional mode of existence became drastically modified by the coming of the whiteman. The inspiration to assemble these materials has come from my work in the region in recent years, particularly as a member of the archaeological team from the University of New England. The first paper is a piece of original research which constitutes a drawing together of minute scraps of evidence from a multiplicity of sources. However, the volume is in the main an editing of information only available in out of the way places. Yet it is also something of a synthesis, an attempt to give a comprehensive picture for the region and to list the source material for further investigation of aboriginal life there. It is intended that this documentation should present an accurate picture so far as it goes.