Our History
History
The Djabuganydji peoples’ traditional lands reach as far as the Mowbray River and down to the Yarrabah area. Djabugay country includes the Barron Gorge National Park in Queensland’s world heritage listed Wet Tropics. The Barron Gorge National Park is an internationally renowned natural icon, and Din Din (Barron Falls ) an all-powerful symbol of the significance of the area to the Traditional Owners.
For the Djabugay people, a Native Title determination in 2004 recognised their connection to country as Traditional Owners and gave an opportunity to have a say on the management of the park. The Corporation recently launched the Djabugay Bulmba Bama Plan which aims to guide the development of a joint management model towards social, cultural and economic benefits for the Djabugay people.
Mona Mona Mission
Mona Mona Mission is an area of land run by their own Board under a lease with the State Government. Originally it was run by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and was established in 1913 at Kuranda, 25 kilometres from Cairns.
People from neighbouring tribes such as the Kuku Yalanji, Djabugay, Muluridgi, Buluwai, Yirrgay, Gunggay, Yidindji, Ngadjan, Mbabaram, Djirubal, Ewamin and Wakaman were taken from their homelands and families, and were placed into single-sex dormitories. Mona Mona Mission closed in 1962.