The Worimi Peoples
The Worimi clans are from the Great Lakes region of coastal NSW.
Before the contact with European settlers, the Worimi extended from Port Stephens in the south to the Forster / Tuncurry region in the north and as far west as Gloucester.
The Worimi is made up of several tribes or clans; The Buraigal, the Gamipingal and Garawerrigal and Maiagal.
The people of the Wallis Lake area, called Wallamba had one central camp site which was at the place now known as Coomba Park.
Their descendants, still living today used this camp site until 1843.
The Wallamba had possibly up to 600 members before European contact was made. The middens around the Wallis Lake area suggest they had ample food and ate welk, pipi's, oysters, crabs, cockles, venus shells and yabbies as well as many varieties of fish, yams and wallabies, kangaroos, echidnas, waterfowl and fruit bats.
Fire was an important feature of their life, both for campsites and the periodic 'burning' of the land to promote new growth which would bring animals in to feed on fresh vegetation.
The name Tobwabba means 'place of clay' and refers to a hill on which the descendants of the Wallamba now have their homes. They make up a 'mission' called Cabarita with their own Land Council to administer their affairs.
The people now number less than 200.
