The Warruŋu, also known as the Warungu/Warrongo, were an Indigenous Australian people of the northern Queensland rainforest areas south of Cairns.
Contents
Language
Warrongo is classified as a member of the Maric branch of the Pama–Nyungan languages. Tsunoda Tasaku made a claim for Warungu having 'the strongest syntactic ergativity' of all the world's languages. The claim has been challenged by Robert M. W. Dixon who believes that the conversational material on which it is based is vitiated by confusions in the informant.
Some words
Last speakers
Country
Mount Garnet marks their northern border.
Society
The Warrongo bore close linguistic and cultural affinities with the Gudjal and Gugu Badhan peoples, all three occupying the Herbert and Upper Burdekin rivers. Like other contiguous groups of this area, the Warrango divided their members into 4 'skin' sections.
History of contact
Tin was discovered in the vicinity of Warrongo territory, in the Wild river area in 1880. John Atherton's Cashmere station, and the Gunnawarra station, were established on their territory in the mid 1870s. The surging influx of miners led to many clashes and massacres. At Blencoe Falls, a group of Warrongo were driven off the cliffs and pushed to plunge into the gorge.