Voice of Byron

VOICE of BYRON regular, Robyne Stone, shared this most interesting article about Cavanmah, way back in the day, featuring a wealth of information about the Bunjalung people including a fascinating map. 

Where do you stand Byron Bay?

Cavin-bah is one of the few Bunjalung words locals use to describe this most precious place. Cavin-bah means “meeting place”. What is the deeper cultural significance of Cavin bah? What is it and where is it?

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We sing, dance and stand on “ancient ground” in this little town and beneath our bare feet, there is profound depth to its treasures of history, culture and lore.

Layers of Dreaming upon Dreaming from the bedrock to the dust we kick up as we dance on this sacred land. Cavin-bah is still celebrated and we dance upon its grounds to this day. In fact, every “Byron market day”! Some are aware others not, however, we all feel “vibration”. The culturally initiated Bunjalung understand vibration well as we all do in our hearts which is natural as we are all branches of the same Great tree of life, it’s just a matter of remembering this is so.

We all adore and appreciate Byron bay as it provides so much for so many and its natural beauty is profound. This map has generally only been drawn in the sand by lore holders and traditional language keepers and had not been put down on paper for good reason considering that in the past when information like this was shared too often it would end up in the wrong hands and sacred sites would then be exploited or destroyed, however times are changing and with the opening of people’s eyes and hearts to both the beauty of Original culture and the contrast of the tragedies of ignorance in the past along with a new wave of both tourists and locals expressing genuine interest to know more of the real history of the land we walk on and to know more about Australia’s First Culture. It was decided that perhaps sharing more of the cultural history of Byron bay may in fact “now” be the better way to “protect” what is precious to us all.

To begin, please understand that there are multiple layers to the dreaming of this land and many clans hold different layers of the dreaming as there is story upon story explained in lore for different teachings of wisdom. For example, there are at least 7 different common stories relating to Julian Rocks and all are true cultural stories with few knowing which dreaming sits upon another especially considering there are stories known to the initiated of when Julian Rocks was a mountain with the coastline completely different from the shores we know today, so there is no contradiction of one story having right of place over another as each dreaming is relevant to different ages in time and of wisdom passed down for thousands of years.

Some stories are for children (Jarjum) others for the highly initiated, a bit like kindergarten Vs university graduate content. This is a very brief insight into the living culture prior to settlement as told by elders past and present in confidence to lore holders, but is now to be shared. None of what is said here is restricted to the initiated but is general information about “country” and social systems of the living culture prior to settlement and to share the wisdom of our greater humanity in which we are all included.

Cavinbah, Cabinbah, Gayin-bah, and Gujin-bah Jagun are a few ways to say Meeting place and or The Rocky meeting place for a little perspective on language as there are several dialects spoken here. The Dreaming and Lore of Byron Bay are strongly connected to Gujin-Balin (The Rocky River) and to be true there are threads weaving all the clans together back to core dreaming of the 13 Rivers.

Currently, we are not allowed to speak of how the marriage lore custom began but to say it was overseen by very wise elders over a long time to be sure that ultimately it would prevent arguments, violence as well as inappropriate marriage or compromised genetics through potentials of inbreeding.
Everyone “belonged” and all knew their place and country. When people crossed paths on walkabout all they would have to do is name their parents and Grandparents country’s and Clans to identify each other and most people spoke several, sometimes well over a dozen dialects of the Ancient Core language.

Inevitably everyone was related a few or several branches back through common great Aunts and Uncles, cousins and so on upon the greater family tree maintaining peaceful relations between camps and clans. Some “camps” names have been confused with “Clans” names over time by many.

There were also dialects of a second key language strictly for the revered knowledge holders of high spiritual Lore, more on that another time.
Keeping this brief is very difficult but we shall endeavour to do so for demonstrating that the knowledge of Byron Bay and all its surrounding areas is still known by custodians and caretakers who incidentally have plans to create “First Light Culture” tours in Bunjalung country in the near future with deeper explanations of this, here abbreviated. This map demonstrates the location of Cavin-bah to start on the boundary of the railway opposite the middle park and the little-bridged waterway we cross as we approach the Markets entering Butler Street from the roundabout.

Cavin-Bah encompasses all the market ground with a southern boundary on the south side of Glen Villa and more. The main area within Cavin-bah we shall speak of here is where the markets are located as it is in question for its cultural significance and concerns of possible inappropriate development on this sacred site. A site that has been in plain view and not spoken about much publicly as its current use for “gathering” is culturally appropriate.

Elders with this knowledge have laughed for years at how the markets are located exactly where the Meeting Place, camp and gatherings were held for thousands of years. Fascinating that even today people are attracted to the vibration of this location for gathering. The landscape has changed somewhat as the Belongil Creek came up behind the raised areas, Rocks and boulders of Cavin-bah quarried and mostly Ruined decades ago with a large lake central to the wetlands connecting to Belongil creek in the Old days.

This was all Changed when the whaling station and railway were built. The General Camping Area for these ceremonies was on the hill rise behind the Market toilet block, where stallholders now park and the rise of the small dirt road on the corner of Somerset-street connecting to Gordon street which by the way “if repaired” would prevent the So-called “Dust Bowl Effect” we hear the site Cavin-bah branded with of late by council and in the Media.

The markets sit on ancient grounds now locally valued as a New Modern Cultural foundation of Byron Bay, famous around the world and responsible for so many people who have pioneered establishing the Region in its modern context creating its popularity. Sad that Butler street has waited countless years for an overdue upgrade for its CURRENT use, prevent the dust and make the road safe for traffic and hundreds of pedestrians approaching the market.
Cavin-bah! There were regular feasts and at least 7 corrobborees’ (called YOWARL in Bunjalung) annually for each of the 7 Bunjalung seasons. Every year there was one wedding corroboree around equinox in September which marked fertility for the new year.

Preparations for marriage took place at Cavin-Bah while the actual ceremonies and feast took place at “The Pass” where there was an enormous midden which was reduced to ground fill when it was concreted over building the boat ramp there. Every 4 years there was a large Cooroberee wedding ceremony for all 13 Rivers clans of the Bunjalung. Every 16 years there was an extremely large Corroboree with tribes from many original nations to celebrate and to marry into the Bunjalung and vice versa from the Northern Territory, Western Australia to South Australia. The marriage and “Skin lore” is complex and its Australia wide.

There was a waterway where the market ground bridge is located that ran down to a small billabong near the park and in the rainy season that carried a stream to the beachfront through what is now Johnson Street in the centre of town to the rocks on the beachfront where our stormwater runs underground to this day. On the beach side of this waterway was where young men camped pending wedding ceremonies while the young woman remained on the site we know as the market grounds today. Cavin-bah!

As for the park and the railway station that was where men’s disputes over potential eligible wives among other things could be addressed, arguments settled and where men could let off some steam. At times it would appear the Middle park still allows for this vibration, however, the Bunjalung allowed special times for ceremonial respectful dispute settlements especially at wedding ceremonies with umpired wrestling bouts. More serious and violent personal settlements were called Bumbeleh, but note, there was not a single senseless Drunken fight ever fought on this land pre-settlement.!
We trust we have shared enough knowledge here to demonstrate the cultural significance of Cavin-bah.

All land is sacred with some areas highly significant. Watego’s is beyond sacred as the place that is touched by the first Sunlight each day, but again that is for another time with so much to share.
Regarding the future, we would prefer many places not to be touched of course but seriously urge considerations for wildlife corridors when contemplating appropriate future development anywhere on our shared country. Animals have a right to habitat in our lore and to anyone with a little common sense. The wetlands are a safeguard to floods. There are many rare animals and plants in the wetlands returning but with several, we once knew, now extinct. Endangered Snails, frogs and bats with Wallabies, Echidna’s and big old Goanna’s, still wonder the bush behind Cavin-bah all the way up to the Island Quarry (a sister site to Cavin-Bah) while the Sports complex there named The Cavanbah Centre certainly is not the meeting place of the Bunjalung, but was a part of a shared hunting ground. Further, the wildlife corridor includes all the proposed suburb of west Byron.

We hope that you have enjoyed learning a little about the Country we all stand on each market day with a hope that sharing this may open a healthy dialogue for a well-planned, sustainable future and the greater good of all peoples, flora and fauna blessed enough to call this magical place home, tourists included and welcome (Jingiwallah) as tourism supports our whole community and it’s time to share with the world. It feels silly to state the obvious, but it’s all our duty to care for Country for future dreamers to grow in healthy soils on sacred land.

Special thanks to the Bunjalung Elders council (of the 13 Rivers) who have read the above article and are happy the time has come to share knowledge.
Also to Aunty Robyne (Kay) Stone, who is hosting this page and was recently recognised both tribally and by the Bunjalung Elders Council as an Elder and a co-Custodian of Cavin-Bah Alongside only one other living caretaker- custodian of Byron Bay. Aunty Robyne was born on The Tweed River in a major flood in 1955 at 2 AM delivered by her Father Edward Kay known as “Teddy Kay”. The family was stranded in the flood for 27 days with her birth being registered on the 28th day at Tweed and was brought to Byron Bay where she spent her first 7 years then lived localy in Byron Bay, Tweed Heads, Brisbane and Murwillumbah until she was TAKEN from Murwillumbah at the age of 12 where she remained for 5 years in 2 of the month notorious children’s institutions in the state of N.S.W in Recent history for their cruelty and abuse to minors, both “Parramatta” and “Hay”

In 2015 Aunty Robyne successfully represented herself at the Royal Commission for crimes of physical and sexual abuse against the State. Robyne’s elder sister who was assumed missing for 5 years by the family had in fact also been TAKEN from Broken Head and placed in the same two institutions, yet ironically they crossed paths inside Parramatta Children’s institution where they were briefly reunited. Aunty Robyne selflessly shared her financial gains received due to her win at the Royal Commission with her sister mentioned above who had received a lesser compensation and family along with a significant sum loaned to Tabulum Mission’s Cooperation (Gunya) interest-free to support in a time of crisis to maintain the community. Aunty Robyne is aware of the Ancient Origins of lore in Western Bunjalung to Byron Bay and the core 13 rivers Lore stories. Returning to elders there to regain lost knowledge and her rightful place.

Both the first and the recent recognised Native Title claims here in Byron Bay were granted due to evidence presented by Robyne and her siblings with photographic and remembered stories inherited traditionally, orally and directly by family elders of their early life in Byron bay along with other evidence confirmed. Further acknowledgements were presented by overseer lore custodians from Western Bunjalung (Wahlabal) among others not mentioned here. Wahlabal and Githabal are the 2 first branches or camps of one old Bunjalung story of the 7 brothers that connect back to Bald Rock, Uluru and a synergy with the 7 sisters stories, but “again” that is another story.

Aunty Robyne had recently been voted in by Arakwal Corporation members as a new Board member of the Corporation but has decided her priority is to spend more time learning with higher Elders who genuinely hold knowledge of the true history and tribal values of the Original Peoples Original ways and customs. Note: Corporation laws and operations do not necessarily reflect Original Tribal lore or custom, nor can they authenticate Tribal Elders, custodians or chosen Lore and knowledge holders and not all are strictly by bloodline decent, although that is uncommon.

Neither is it true that being a certain age makes one an elder by default as it is more about ones Dreaming, knowledge, initiation, trust, intention, integrity as well as being recognised by the wisdom keepers and more that we shall not mention here, but we felt to make this clear.!

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