Ngiyanhi gawaymbanha Wagga Wagga-gu, Wiradyuri-gu ngurambang-gu. Nginha bala ngiyanhigin. guna balugirbang-gu garray. Ngurambang wiradyuri-gu mayiny-gu

Welcome to Wagga Wagga, Wiradyuri country, the land of our ancestors, home of the Wiradyuri people

Acknowledgement of Country

Wagga Wagga City Council gulbali-yanhi ngurambang-gu Wiradyuri-gu walumaldhaany-galang. nganha bala mayiny Wiradyuri. yindyamali-yanhi mudyiganggalang-bu balumbambal-bu balugirbam-bu yindyamali-yanhi bagaraygan nguarambang-gawali-i yandu muran. wigi wagga wagga-dha ngiyanhi gulbali-bu yindyamali-bu guwiinyguliyalagu buyaa-bu giilaang-galam-bu. ngiyanhi gulbali-bu yindyamali-bu guwiinyguliyalagu dhaagun-giyalam-bu bila-galang-giyalam-bu. gulbali-yanhi Wiradyuri-mayiny ngurambangguwal-bu bala yarruwala-bu waluwin-bu walabangan-bu dhirrangal-bu.

Wagga Wagga City Council acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land, the Wiradyuri people, and pays respect to Elders past, present and future and extends our respect to all First Nations Peoples in Wagga Wagga.

We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and continuing connection with the land and rivers. We also recognise the resilience, strength and pride of the Wiradyuri and First Nations communities.

Aboriginal history of the Wagga Wagga area

Wagga Wagga is located on traditional Wiradyuri Country in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales. The name of the City was derived from the language of the Wiradyuri people, the largest Aboriginal Nation in New South Wales. The word Wagga Wagga comes from the Wiradyuri word Waga meaning a place to dance. Waga Waga, meaning a place of dance, place of celebration. The repetition of a word expresses plural or emphasis, emphasis meaning special importance. Thus, Wagga Wagga could mean a place of many celebrations or a place of many dances.

The name Wiradyuri means, ‘people of the three rivers’ and traditionally these rivers (Lachlan, Murrumbidgee and Macquarie) were the primary source of food for the Wiradyuri people. Wagga Wagga continues to be the traditional home of many Wiradyuri people. After years of Wagga being a government resettlement zone for Aboriginal people, it is now also home to First Nations Peoples from many surrounding Nations.

The "Gugaa" (Goanna) is the overarching totem for the Wiradjuri nation. It is the symbol that connects all people, past and present, of the Wiradjuri land. This traditional drawing of the Gugaa tracks depicted in the video below (also seen across our Visit Wagga website and in our publications) has been chosen to represent moving forward together and celebrating Wiradjuri land, culture and People.

Throughout this site, we share in Wiradyuri language as a way to connect with the culture and spirit of the traditional custodians of the land, the Wiradyuri People.

We thank Uncle Dr Stan Grant senior, Budyaan Wiradyuri Language Trust and the staff at the School of Indigenous Australian Studies at Charles Sturt University for the Wiradyuri language and translations used throughout the Visit Wagga Wagga website and publications.