Kamilaroi

Kamilaroi, also spelled Kamilaroi or Gamilaroi, refers to an Aboriginal Australian people of New South Wales and to their language, commonly called Gamilaraay. The Kamilaroi are part of the broader Pama–Nyungan language region, with a cluster of dialects that includes Gamilaraay and related varieties.

Traditional Kamilaroi country lies in the northern-central belt of New South Wales, encompassing parts of the Namoi, Macquarie, Gwydir, and Barwon river basins and the surrounding plains. The area includes communities around towns such as Narrabri, Moree, Walgett, and Coonabarabran. The land is rich in rivers, plains, and rock formations, and dreamtime stories and place names are closely tied to the landscape.

Culturally, Kamilaroi society is organized around kinship networks and clans, with a rich oral tradition of song, storytelling, and ceremony. Language, art, and toponymy reflect deep connections to country, water sources, and seasonal cycles. European contact from the late 18th century brought displacement, frontier conflict, and policies of assimilation, leading to significant disruption of traditional lifeways. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries many Kamilaroi people were relocated to missions and reserves, and their lands were increasingly settled by non-Indigenous communities.

Today, Kamilaroi people continue to maintain cultural practices and language revitalization efforts, with community organizations and language programs aimed at preserving Gamilaraay and related dialects. The name Kamilaroi remains widely used in place names and public life in New South Wales.