Bundaberg

History

The Traditional owner Aboriginal groups in the region are the Taribelang, Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, and Bailai peoples. They are the original inhabitants of the region. A determination of Native Title was made for all four cultural groups by the National Native Title Tribunal, pursuant to the Native Title Act 1993, on 28 November 2017. It was determined that "native title exists in the entire determination area" of Bundaberg, Gladstone, and the North Burnett. As such, the Bundaberg Regional Council has reflected this recognition in their "First Nations Strategy 2022-2026", and endeavours to celebrate and embrace the region's "local connections to First Nation Peoples and other cultures". The Burnett River was surveyed by John Charles Burnett, after whom it was named during his exploration mission of the Wide Bay and Burnett regions in 1847. British occupation of the land in the region began in 1848 when pastoral squatters Gregory Blaxland Jnr and William Forster established a sheep station. Blaxland was a son of the Blue Mountains explorer, Gregory Blaxland, and Forster was later to become a Premier of New South Wales. They selected a very large area of land which encompassed most of the western part of the modern day Bundaberg Region along the Burnett River. They named this pastoral lease Tirroan. Blaxland and Forster had previously set up sheep stations near the Clarence River and had a notable history of conflict with Aboriginal people. Sheep stations imposed on native bushland disrupt native food production, typically resulting in widespread hunger and illness amongst native peoples. Conflict continued at Tirroan when two of their shepherds were killed by Aboriginal people in 1849. Forster and Blaxland led a punitive expedition causing multiple Aboriginal deaths.…

Geography

The city is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is inland from the Coral Sea coast and situated on the Burnett River.

Most-observed species

• Australian Ibis

  Threskiornis molucca (Cuvier, 1829) · Aves
  3,077
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,966
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  2,945
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,877
• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  2,831
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,821
• Masked Lapwing

  Vanellus miles (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  2,758
• Australasian Figbird

  Sphecotheres vieilloti Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  2,751