Thread: The boomerang – a lethal weapon or just a myth?

Originally Posted by bob10

Could be this, Bob

Guugu Yimidhirr (Aboriginal language of northeast Australia) gaurru.]
Word History: A widely held belief has it that the word kangaroo comes from an Australian Aboriginal word meaning "I don't know." This is in fact untrue. As a result, it was assumed that Captain Cook had been mistaken, and the myth grew up that what he had heard was a word meaning "I don't know" (presumably as the answer to a question in English that had not been understood).

It is an urban myth, and one thought highly funny by aboriginals.

In the 80's there was an Australian comedy film made which took the idea further. It started with a buch of Aboriginals down at the park cooking lunch, when a starchy 1770's- looking pom walks up and says " Ah, fine fellow, what do you call this place?" And the Aboriginal replies: "What here?, this is the BBQ Area!" Pom: "And you are all Babakiuerians?"

Watch Babakuieria HERE

even though the boomerang that returns is not lethal, they hurt like hell when they hit you in the side.

i swear it has tracking in it, cause i ran about 100m from where i threw it and it still hit me.

There's a suburb not too far from here called Goodna, the name came from the word "goona" meaning excrement.

It also used to be where a mental hospital was located, and that sure met the aboriginal name as they used shock therapy .

Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by 2stroke

There's a suburb not too far from here called Goodna, the name came from the word "goona" meaning excrement.

Indeed, looks like another white man misinterpretation, Bob


GOODNA: The original name for this area was Woogaroo and this referred to a waterhole in the






creek. When an asylum was built and called Woogaroo Asylum, a new name was needed for the


suburb. An unfortunate misunderstanding in language seems to be responsible for this name


which is an aboriginal word meaning dung.

Woogaroo Creek is the boundary between Ipswich and Brisbane.

Originally Posted by 2stroke

There's a suburb not too far from here called Goodna, the name came from the word "goona" meaning excrement.

Funny about suburb names. There is a suburb in Perth called 'Innaloo'. No idea what the aboriginal meaning of that is but I can make fair guess at what the English meaning might be.

Being a mollydooka with most things, a left handed boomerang suits me! I don't profess to throw it well but on a good day after a few practice throws, it sort of comes back almost to where I stand.

There are several well educated GenY members of the extended family who are ultra competitive... they throw my boomerang with their RH... and it never works as it should. The thought that it might have been made for a left hander hasn't dawned on them as yet, and I ain't about to explain it to them

I bought it many years ago in the Kuranda village (Cairns) from an elder who made them in the tradition of his people. I don't remember what mob he belonged to but we chatted for a couple of hours ...he had a very dry sense of humour.
Indeed he suggested this LH/RH ruse to frustrate "you know who". It works a treat and I owe him big time