Budawang Message Stick

As part of the Blessing of the Fleet Festival 2008, Budawang Elder Noel Butler made a message stick on behalf of the Budawang people for the Guringai people of Pittwater Sydney. Noel is a great grandson of Margaret Nixon/Campbell – Jirrawich (c1843 – 1896) and Jane Brown – Golden Brown, Nicholas, Licey and Butler (1817 – 1908).

The presenation on Easter Monday by Noel sister Lillian, took place at the Aboriginal One Track for All, on Ulladulla’s northern headland, the the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and Pittwater Rotary transported the message stick back to Sydney. The message stick was later presented to Bob Waterer of the Guringai people.

Bob Waterer who is a great great grandson of Biddy Bungaree (1803-1880), who adopted the name Sarah Wallace, was a tribal Aboriginal woman who appears to have belonged to the Broken Bay Group. Her mother is thought to have been Matora, one of the wives of Bungaree who was the head of the Broken Bay tribe in the early 19th century and a well-known mediator for early NSW Governors.

The Guringai people with the NSW State Records returned the message stick to the Budawang people and Ulladulla, for the 2009 Blessing of the Fleet Festival.