page_title: Umbarra
section_title: Life
hierarchical_section_title: Umbarra / Life
caption_attribution_description: English: National Library of Australia scan. Date given as circa 1900.
context_page_description: Umbarra, or King Merriman was an Aboriginal elder of the Djirringanj/Yuin people of the Bermagui area on the South Coast of New South Wales.
  Although Aboriginal people traditionally did not have kings or chiefs, only elders, the white colonial powers used to often grant king plates to certain elders, hence the moniker King.
context_section_description: Umbarra lived on Merriman Island, in the middle of Wallaga Lake, while his people lived on the shores of the lake. Umbarra was believed to have clairvoyant abilities, and communicated with a black duck, his moojingarl or being with which he had a spiritual connection, which warned him of coming danger.
  Umbarra provided information on the Yuin to Alfred William Howitt for Howitt's 1904 book The native tribes of South-East Australia.
  
  Umbarra's father, who was also associated with the black duck, is believed to have also been named Merriman and to have died around 1850. His wife, Queen Narelle, died around 1900. The brother of Umbarra and the brother of Narelle, despite being unrelated to one another, founded a single family, the Nobles. Yuin genealogist and researcher Dave Tout is a descendant of the Nobles.
caption: Funeral of Queen Narelle, Umbarra's wife, circa 1900
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