Wikipedia
The Darumbal (occasionally Dharumbal) are the Indigenous Australians that have traditionally occupied Central Queensland, speaking dialects of the Darumbal language. Traditional Darumbal land is considered to encompass most of coastal Central Queensland, including Shoalwater Bay, the Keppel Islands, and the cities of Rockhampton and Yeppoon. Ethnologue classifies the Darumbal language (sometimes known as Bayali) as "extinct". Darumbal people of the Keppel Islands and surrounding regions are sometimes also known as Woppaburra or Ganumi, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Darumbal people in the Shoalwater Bay area are known as Yetimarla.
With the arrival of European settlers in the region, some Darumbal were tolerated as fringe communities of the new settlements, but most were systematically removed to make way for pastoral development. According to some estimates, "between 1865 and 1902 the population of the Keppel Islands suffered a substantial reduction of 75 to 80 per cent".
Darumbal Native Title claims and land use issues have become prominent in recent years. In 2001, a claim was made to the National Native Title Tribunal, and in 2007 137 hectares at Mount Wheeler were handed over to the tribe. There have been several controversies regarding fisheries licensing and conservation. Darumbal people have been granted limited access to the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area.
Although the language is extinct, some Darumbal words live on in place names in Central Queensland. The town of Coowonga is named after a Darumbal man famous for saving the life of politician King O'Malley in the late 19th century. The Rockhampton suburb of Nerimbera is named for a Darumbal word meaning 'where the mountains meet the river'.