Biamanga (Jack Mumbler)

Biamanga (Jack Mumbler) was a respected Yuin Elder whose life was devoted to protecting Country and keeping cultural law strong. He was born and raised on Yuin Country and carried the knowledge of his Ancestors, especially in relation to sacred sites, men’s business, songlines and the correct conduct of ceremonies. His authority was widely recognised, and he was widely regarded as a cultural law man whose guidance shaped national conversations about land protection.

He taught relentlessly, sometimes formally, but most often by quietly demonstrating the right way to act: with respect, humility, discipline and commitment to Country. Elders who worked with him describe him as uncompromising when it came to protecting sacred knowledge, yet deeply generous in guiding younger men and in explaining to outsiders why these places must remain intact.

Biamanga was strongly associated with the protection of Gulaga and Biamanga (Mumbulla) Mountains, places of deep spiritual and ceremonial significance to the Yuin people. He was a central figure in efforts during the 1970s and 1980s to stop logging on Mumbulla Mountain and to assert the right of Yuin people to speak for their land. His leadership contributed to what would later become dual management of Biamanga National Park and the legal recognition of these mountains as Aboriginal-owned cultural landscapes. Biamanga (Mumbulla Mountain) is the central feature of a large ceremonial and cultural pathway on the Far South East Coast

Biamanga’s name lives on through the land itself, a testament to an Elder who held firm so that future generations could inherit what is theirs.