Djilang - Geelong

Geelong: Djilang — The Tongue of Land

Region and Language Group

Djilang, known today as Geelong, lies at the heart of Wadawurrung Country — part of the Kulin Nation of south-central Victoria. The Wadawurrung language, or Wathaurung, covers the lands extending from the You Yangs and Werribee River west to Ballarat and south to the Bellarine Peninsula (Clark 1990; Wadawurrung Traditional Owners 2023).

The name Djilang is thought to mean “tongue of land” or “cliffs,” referring to the long peninsula of land and steep coastal edges that frame Corio Bay. It describes both the shape of the land and its cultural role as a meeting place for food gathering, ceremony, and trade.

Djilang

For thousands of years before colonisation, Djilang was a central hub of life on Wadawurrung Country. Its sheltered bay, freshwater creeks, and fertile volcanic plains supported abundant eel, shellfish, birds, and kangaroos. Families camped seasonally along the Barwon and Moorabool Rivers, moving toward the bay when fish and shellfish were plentiful. The headlands and high ground provided vantage points to watch the tides and communicate with smoke and fire signals. From the You Yangs to Point Henry, the landscape carried ancestral meaning and social law, linking people to story and place (Clark & Heydon 2002).

Djilang as a Cultural and Ceremonial Centre

Djilang was a gathering place where neighbouring Kulin clans came together for ceremony, trade, and exchange. Ochres, stone tools, and woven goods were traded for foods like fish oil, dried eel, and murnong (yam daisy) (Howitt 1904; Pascoe 2014). The bay’s calm waters offered safe canoe passage and abundant marine life. Nearby, freshwater lagoons such as those at Belmont Common and Reedy Lake were rich feeding grounds, alive with swans, pelicans, and ducks.

Ceremonial sites around Corio Bay were marked by shell middens and fire-hearths, now preserved beneath the urban landscape. The Wadawurrung held dances and storytelling events here that honoured Bunjil the wedge-tailed eagle — their creator and law-giver — whose presence was said to guide the winds over the bay (Massola 1968; Wadawurrung Traditional Owners 2023).

Meaning of the Name — “Tongue of Land”

The name Djilang (also recorded as Jillong or Jilong in early colonial sources) describes both the shape and spirit of the land. The narrow tongue of Country that juts into Corio Bay was seen as a living body — a tongue that “speaks” to the sea and sky. In Wadawurrung worldview, landforms are animate: cliffs and ridges hold voice and memory. Thus, Djilang represents not only geography but dialogue — the meeting of land and water, people and ancestors. This sense of voice and presence continues to shape modern understanding of Geelong’s cultural identity.

Early Contact and Colonisation

European settlement in Djilang began soon after John Batman’s expeditions in 1835. His so-called “treaty” with Kulin leaders at Merri Creek was followed by rapid squatting across Wadawurrung lands, including along Corio Bay, the Barwon River, and the Bellarine Peninsula (Boyce 2011; Presland 2023).

In 1836, Henry and Thomas Manifold, Fyans, and Pollock established runs around Geelong, with Captain Foster Fyans later becoming the first police magistrate of the area. By 1838, the town of Geelong had been surveyed and declared open for settlement — displacing Wadawurrung families from the foreshore and cutting off access to key fishing grounds (Clark 1995).

Accounts from the 1830s and 1840s record violent confrontations between settlers and Wadawurrung clans defending their Country, particularly near Batesford and Barwon Heads (Cahir 2012). The combination of disease, dispossession, and conflict rapidly reduced the population, yet many families maintained connection to Djilang through seasonal work and return visits.

Ecological and Cultural Change

Colonisation brought extensive environmental transformation. Wetlands were drained, eels and shellfish declined, and sacred sites were built over by the expanding port and town. However, remnants of the old ecological systems remain — the estuarine wetlands of Lake Connewarre, Swan Bay, and Reedy Lake still reflect the interlinked water systems that sustained the Wadawurrung for millennia (Clark & Heydon 2002).

In cultural renewal, Djilang remains a centre for Wadawurrung identity, language, and education. The revival of place names, bilingual signage, and community-led projects has re-established the use of Djilang alongside Geelong, restoring balance between the colonial and the original.

Modern Renewal and Cultural Recognition

Today, Djilang stands as a symbol of cultural continuity. The Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation leads Country-care projects around the Barwon estuary, You Yangs, and Corio Bay, integrating Indigenous knowledge into wetland and coastal restoration (Wadawurrung Traditional Owners 2023). Local schools and institutions now teach the Wadawurrung language and recognise the city’s true name, Djilang, in ceremonies and public art. Events such as Pako Festa and NAIDOC Week incorporate Wadawurrung song and story, re-establishing the voice of the “tongue of land.”

Conclusion

The story of Djilang is one of endurance and renewal. Once a vibrant gathering place for food and ceremony, it became a site of dispossession — yet the name and spirit of the place endure.
From the pelicans on Corio Bay to the cliffs and winds that shape the shore, Djilang continues to speak — reminding all who live there that land has a voice, and history flows through every tide.

References

·       Atkinson, J. (2002) Trauma Trails: Recreating Songlines – The Transgenerational Effects of Trauma in Indigenous Australia. Spinifex Press.

·       Barwick, D. (1984) ‘Mapping the Past: An Atlas of Victorian Aboriginal Clans’, Aboriginal History Journal, 8(1), pp. 100–131.

·       Boyce, J. (2011) 1835: The Founding of Melbourne and the Conquest of Australia. Black Inc.

·       Cahir, F. (2012) Black Gold: Aboriginal People on the Goldfields of Victoria, 1850–1870. ANU Press.

·       Clark, I. D. (1990) Aboriginal Languages and Clans: An Historical Atlas of Western and Central Victoria, 1800–1900. Monash Publications.

·       Clark, I. D. (1995) Scars in the Landscape: A Register of Massacre Sites in Western Victoria 1803–1859. Aboriginal Studies Press.

·       Clark, I. D. and Heydon, T. (2002) The Confluence of the Werribee and the Lerderderg: An Environmental and Historical Study. Heritage Council of Victoria.

·       Howitt, A. W. (1904) The Native Tribes of South-East Australia. Macmillan.

·       Massola, A. (1968) Bunjil’s Cave: Myths, Legends and Superstitions of the Aborigines of South-East Australia. Lansdowne Press.

·       Pascoe, B. (2014) Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture. Magabala Books.

·       Presland, G. (2023) First People: The Eastern Kulin of Melbourne, Port Phillip and Central Victoria. Museum Victoria Publishing.

·       Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (2023) Caring for Djilang: Country, Culture and Community. Geelong.

Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter (22 September 2025)

MLA

Sharing the truth of Indigenous and colonial history through film, education, land, and community.
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Copyright MLA – 2025

Magic Lands Alliance acknowledges the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We honour their enduring connection to the sky, land, waters, language, and culture. We pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging, and to all First Peoples’ communities and language groups. This article draws only on publicly available information; many cultural practices remain the intellectual property of their respective communities.