Umbarra aka Merriman

Umbarra (King Merriman) (d. 1904) was a highly respected Elder of the Djiringandj branch of the Yuin Nation, whose leadership and cultural authority remain foundational to Yuin identity. Known to his people as Umbarra, his totem was the Pacific Black Duck, a symbol of protection and a guiding figure in Yuin cosmology.

Living on what is now called Merriman Island, Umbarra was celebrated as “the bard of the Coast Murring” due to composing songs whilst travelling on the seas with his wife. He was an informant to anthropologist Alfred William Howitt, sharing Yuin songs, lore and ecological knowledge. Oral tradition recounts that the Black Duck (Umbarra) warned his people of impending danger, allowing them to seek refuge on what is now called Merriman’s Island in Wallaga Lake.

According to Percy Mumbulla (Mumbler) in his 1958 book “The Battle at Wallaga Lake” Black-feller, White-feller. Umbarra (Merriman), witnessed the massacre of his Wallaga Lake tribe by “a big army from a Victorian tribe.” Although European settlers designated him “King Merriman” through a ceremonial breastplate this was a colonial imposition. His spiritual and practical influence endured after his death around 1904 (or 1905 by some accounts). Today his name lives in the landscape: Merriman Island is a protected Aboriginal site, and the Black Duck Songline he symbolises is being re-awakened across Yuin country. Umbarra’s life reminds us of the continuity of law, language and belonging, his legacy remains in Yuin song, Country and story.