Yugambeh People & Clans

Yugambeh People & Clans

In the Dreaming, our Ngajanggali - Jabreen, laid down the law which his children and their descendants were to live by. It is said that in those early days, Jabreen walked the jagun, placing plants, waterholes, and most importantly, people.

Yugambeh Nation Clan Territories Map

Traditional Clan Territories

The ancestral lands of the Yugambeh Nation, showing the freshwater and saltwater regions

Across our Nation lie the Jaran (Freshwater) and Ngarang (Saltwater) regions composed of bands of smaller groups, known as clans/family groups/locality groups; each being individually named and holding a piece of country that is theirs to care for.

Yugambeh people share lore and custom, bonded by a common tongue, and united through ceremony and history. We are the Mibunn of this jagun.

Our people find their spouse from different clans/families, so many people have different obligations and responsibilities for a number of countries. These clans are composed of a number of family lines, all our people are descendants of a number of old ones or Ngajanggali, each family holds an oral history that spans many decades and generations.

Our Sacred Clans

Discover the territories and stories of the Yugambeh Nation

Jaranywal

Freshwater Region
Mununjali
Beaudesert Clan • Mid-Logan River Valley
"Burnt Earth People"
The Mununjali, also known as the Beaudesert clan, are the people of the Mid-Logan river valley. Their name reflects the distinctive dark volcanic soil that characterizes their traditional country, a landscape shaped by ancient geological forces that created the rich, fertile earth their ancestors knew and cared for.

Alternative Names

Manandjali, Mullenjali, Manaldjali

Name Etymology

Munun (Burnt Earth)
-jali (clan suffix)
Wanggeriburra
Tamborine Clan • Albert River Valley
"Pretty-Faced Wallaby People"
The Wanggeriburra, also known as the Tamborine clan, are the traditional custodians of the Albert river valley. Their identity is deeply connected to the local Whiptail or Pretty-faced Wallaby (Macropus parryi), a distinctive marsupial that thrived in their country and became central to their cultural identity.

Alternative Names

Balgabari

Name Etymology

Wangerri (Pretty-faced Wallaby)
-burra (clan suffix)
Migunburri
Mt. Barney/Christmas Creek Clan • Upper-Logan River Valley
"Mountain Spike People"
The Migunberri, also known as the Mt. Barney/Christmas creek clan, are the people of the Upper-Logan river valley. Their name honors the dramatic mountain peaks that define their landscape, including the imposing Mt. Barney and surrounding ranges that create the distinctive "mountain spikes" of their traditional territory.

Alternative Names

Migunni, Migunberri, Migunni, Miganbari

Name Etymology

Migun (Mountain Spikes)
-beri (clan suffix)
Murangburra
Mt Warning Clan • Upper-Tweed River Valley
"Mossy Forest People"
The Murangburra, also known as the Mt Warning clan, are the traditional owners of the Upper-Tweed river valley. Their name celebrates the lush, moss-covered forests that blanket their mountainous country, creating the distinctive green canopy that has defined their landscape for countless generations.

Alternative Names

Birinburra

Name Etymology

Murang (Forest Moss)
-burra (clan suffix)

Ngarangwal

Saltwater Region
Gugugan
Logan Clan • Lower Logan River Valley
"Black Possum People"
The Gugugan, also known as the Logan clan, are the traditional custodians of the Lower Logan river valley. Their identity is tied to a distinctive phenotype of possum, mostly black in colour, that was once abundant throughout their coastal and riverine country before European settlement.

Alternative Names

Gugingin, Warilgamburri

Name Etymology

Gunam (Black Possum)
-gan (clan suffix)
Bullongin
Coomera Clan • Coomera River Valley
"River People"
The Bullongin, also known as the Coomera clan, are the people of the Coomera river valley. Their name reflects the abundance of waterways, creeks, and streams that flow through their country, creating a network of freshwater systems that sustain both the land and its people.

Alternative Names

Balunjali, Balungin

Name Etymology

Bullon (River)
-gin (clan suffix)
Kombumerri
Nerang Clan • Nerang River Valley
"Cobra-Worm People"
The Kombumerri, also known as the Nerang clan, are the traditional owners of the Nerang river valley. Their name connects them to the locally found Cobra Worm (Teredo navalis), a marine organism that played an important role in their coastal and estuarine environment.

Alternative Names

Gumbumeri, Dalgalburri

Name Etymology

Kombu (Cobra-worm)
-merri (clan suffix)
Tulgigin
Tweed Heads Clan • Northern Lower Tweed Valley
"Dry Forest People"
The Tulgigin, also known as the Tweed Heads clan, are the traditional custodians of the northern Lower Tweed valley. Their name reflects the distinctive Sclerophyll vegetation that once characterized their coastal country, featuring drought-adapted trees and shrubs typical of Australia's eastern coastline.

Alternative Names

Dalgaygin, Tulgaiburri, Dulguigan

Name Etymology

Tulgi (Dry Forest)
-gin (clan suffix)
Cudgenburra
Fingal Clan • Southern Lower Tweed River Valley
"Red Ochre People"
The Cudgenburra, also known as the Fingal clan, are the traditional owners of the southern Lower Tweed river valley. Their name honors the sacred red ochre found in their country, a mineral of deep cultural significance used in ceremony, art, and spiritual practices throughout Yugambeh culture.

Alternative Names

Gujinbara, Kudjingburra, Chabbooburri

Name Etymology

Cudgen (Red Ochre)
-burra (clan suffix)