Wunambal Gaambera calendar

Explore the traditional seasonal calendar of the Wunambal Gaambera people on the far north-west coast of the Kimberley, Western Australia

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Wunambal Gaambera seasons

There are 4 major seasons as part of the seasonal cycle for Wunambal Gaambera Country – Wunju (wet season), Bandemanya (early dry season), Yurrma (cold season) and Yuwala (build-up).

Wunambal Gaambera seasonal calendar

Diagram of Wunambal Gaambera seasonal calendar. It's a purple-rimmed circle with 3 concentric circles inside. Each layer describes the 4 seasons and has illustrations of weather features and the various animals relating to different seasons.
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Permission to use the Wunambal Gaambera seasonal calendar is granted by Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation

Wunju – wet season

January to March

  • Monsoon rains, camping in rock shelters and freshwater time.
  • Time for hunting, fishing and campfires.
  • Women collecting fruit.

Bandemanya – early dry season

March to April

  • After the rain before the cold weather.
  • Burns hot small-scale burns, cold burns.
  • Miljadawurru Knock'em down rain.

Yurrma – cold season

May to August

  • Season is cold weather south east winds.
  • Burning season and men go hunting inland areas.
  • Burning as grass dries – women still collecting yams.

Yuwala – build-up

September to December

  • Hot weather no wind.
  • Binmanda ada mawnangani – first rain coming many plants flowering.

About the Wunambal Gaambera seasonal calendar

The climate of Wunambal Gaambera Country is wet-dry monsoonal, characterised by uniformly high temperatures and solar radiation with distinctively seasonal rainfall.

Average monthly minimum and maximum temperatures range from 24° C to 39° C in October and from 12° C to 33° C in July. Frosts do not occur in the area, however, during the June–July period overnight minimum temperatures of less than 10° C are not uncommon.

Rainfall is markedly seasonal, the bulk of the annual average of 1000–1400 mm occurring from November to April, with the Wunju season of January and February being the wettest months. Yurrma – the cooler months of May to September – are virtually rain free.

As temperatures and humidity rise during Yuwala, from September to November, rainfall increases but is still relatively low. Rainfall is also variable from season to season and place to place. Average rainfall varies from 1400 mm in the Mitchell Plateau area to just over 1000 mm further inland.

The dominant features of the climate are the annual period of aridity during each dry season and the uniformly high daytime temperatures.

References:

  • Uunguu Plants and Animals Book, Aboriginal biological knowledge from Wunambal Gaambera Country in the north-west Kimberley, Australia.
  • Jack Karadada, Lily Karadada, Wilfred Goonack, Geoffrey Mangolamara, William Bunjuck, Louis Kardada, Basil Djanghara, Sylvester Mangolamara, Janet Oobagooma, Agnes Charles, Dianna Williams, Regina Karadada, Thomas Saunders and Glenn Wightman.

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