Awabakal

The Awabakal people /əˈwɒbəɡæl/, a group of indigenous people of Australia, are those Aboriginal Australians that were united by a common language, strong ties of kinship and survived as skilled hunter–fisher–gatherers in family groups or clans scattered along the coastal area of what is now known as the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Their traditional territory spreads from Wollombiin the south, to the Lower Hunter River near Newcastle and Lake Macquarie in the north.

In the traditional language, Awaba is the word for Lake Macquarie, meaning flat or plain surface; hence, Awabakal was used to describe people of the area. The Awabakal were bounded to the north–west by the Wonnarua, the Worimi to the north–east, and the Darkinjung peoples to the west and south. The Awabakal people, like most of the Aboriginal Australian tribes in Australia, still live in their native homelands.

Alternate names

Awabagal is a common alternate name for the Awabakal people. Awaba is now the name of a small town in the region.