King Charley

King Charlie was a Kroatun from the Snowy River (XM98). His totems were ‘the two Conger eels - the Būra which is the smaller one and the Nuy-yang which is the larger’ (hw0404) According to Howitt (hw0404) he spoke Mukthang [a Kanai dialect], Thanguai [probably bithawal], Twofold Bay language [a South Coast Language] and Ngarego.

He had at least two wives, ‘his first wife was a woman from a tribe near the Murray somewhere near Albury. She was a widow and he came off with her from Maneroo.’ His second wife ‘was a Brabralung he ran off with her from Lake Tyers she being in widowhood at the time.’

His mother was a Ngarego woman and he was initiated by the ‘Ngarego tribe of Maneroo’ (XM720). He assisted Howitt in the organisation of the Kuringal (XM720).

He wore a 'king plate' which is currently kept at the Victorian Museum. The inscription on the plate only with an interlineal gloss from Bulmer reads thus:

Thoona Wanjinata Brabolong Kroathun
To tell or give notice I have got Tribes
Ngiu wanjani Brabolong kanju
are mine having taken Tribe
Ditta wangu blata
with this Plate

Bio by Corey Theatre