The Dhiraila (also rendered as Thereila or Thiralla) were an Aboriginal Australian people whose traditional lands lay in what is now the state of Queensland.
Language
According to linguist Gavan Breen, the language spoken by the Dhiraila—referred to as the Thereila language—was known by the names Mamwura, Mambanjura (also spelled Mambanyura), and related variants.
Country (Territory)
Anthropologist Norman Tindale recorded that Dhiraila tribal lands covered approximately 2,800 square miles (about 7,300 km²). Their territory extended south of the Nockatunga and Noccundra stations, reaching the Grey Range. Key locations within their country included Dingera Creek, the Bransby area, and the lower reaches of Warrywarry Creek.
Alternative Names
The Dhiraila have been listed under several alternative spellings and names in ethnographic sources:
- Thiralla
- Mambanjura
- Mambanyura
- Mambangura
- Mamwura
- Ngandangura
Notes
The information about the Dhiraila derives primarily from early 20th‑century ethnographic surveys, notably the works of Norman Tindale (1974) and linguistic research by Gavan Breen (1971). Contemporary documentation of the Dhiraila is limited, and many details of their culture, social organization, and current status remain under‑recorded in publicly accessible sources.
References
- Tindale, Norman B. Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names. Australian National University Press, 1974.
- Breen, Gavan. “Australian Aboriginal Languages: Some Problems of Classification.” Proceedings of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, 1971.