A Corroboree Example: The Sham Fight with White Settlers

Following the cattle hunt, the performance would often transition into a dramatic battle reenactment. Gideon Lang’s account continues:

The next scene began with “the sound of horses galloping through the timber, followed by the appearance of a party of whites on horseback, remarkably well got up.” The performers impersonating whites were meticulously decorated: “The face was painted whity-brown, with an imitation of the cabbage-tree hat; the bodies were painted, some blue and others red, to represent the shirts: below the waist was a resemblance of the moleskin trousers, the legs being covered with reeds, tied all round, to imitate the hide leggings…”

These “fictitious white men” then engaged the native performers in a battle. They “at once wheeled to the right, fired, and drove the blacks before them!” The natives would rally, and “a desperate fight ensued, the blacks extending their flanks and driving back the whites.” Lang emphasizes the accuracy of the mimicry, noting that the performers “bit the cartridges, put on the caps, and went through all the forms of loading, firing, wheeling their horses, assisting each other, &c., with an exactness which proved personal observation.”

The narrative was emotionally engaging for the native audience. Lang observes that they “groaned whenever a blackfellow fell, but cheered lustily when a white bit the dust.” The performance concluded with the whites being “ignominiously driven from the field, amidst the frantic delight of the natives.”

R.N. Richard Sadleir describes a similar “sham-fight” where after spearing the cattle, “then are heard a troop of horses galloping; a party with faces painted white, and bodies painted whitey-brown, some blue, others to represent stockmen; then comes a body of natives, and a regular sham-fight takes place, in which the natives are conquerors.”

Sanctioned Exchange of Wives (Be-Ama) During Corroboree

In the Wa-imbio tribe, the texts reveal that on certain occasions, particularly during large corroboree gatherings, the normal strict marital rules were temporarily relaxed in a sanctioned practice of wife-lending.

The text from Kamilaroi and Kurnai provides the evidence of this. It states, “At times, when there was a great gathering at corrobborees, wives were exchanged, but always within class limits.” This practice was formalized and known as be-ama. The text gives an example: “I remember a case where two men exchanged wives for a month; this was called be-ama.”

Importantly, this exchange was not a free-for-all. It was strictly regulated “within class limits,” meaning it only occurred between men and women who were already in the permissible marriage categories. The text clarifies that at all other times, “men expected wives to be faithful to their husbands, unless by their consent and command.”

The Running Away of Couples During Corroboree

The corroboree provided a social context and cover for courtship and elopement, which was a culturally recognized method of marriage.

Kamilaroi and Kurnai explains that among the Kurnai, the standard rule was that “all young women ran off with their husbands.” A Tatungolung man provided a detailed illustration of how the corroboree facilitated this: a man from another tribe would see a girl he liked, and they would communicate subtly. “Then, at the corroboree in the evening, the young man would say, ‘I like you; we will run away, only not yet.’ Then they wait for the next corroboree and run off.” 

This practice, while common, was not without its social consequences. The same account notes that after the elopement, “the father and brothers are very angry, and look out for him to fight him.”