11 December 2025
11 December 2025
Across more than two centuries of colonial recording, the name of the Boonwurrung people has appeared in over 60 different spellings — including Bunurong, Boonerwrung, Bunwurrung, and Boonwerung. These variations aren’t cultural spellings. They are colonial attempts at writing down a language the recorders did not understand.
Today, Boonwurrung is the widely accepted and culturally correct spelling, following the guidance of the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages (VACL) — the peak linguistic body for First Peoples languages in Victoria. This spelling best reflects the original pronunciation shared by Boonwurrung Elders, where the vowel sound is closer to “oo” than “u.”
Early colonists, missionaries, and government officials wrote Boonwurrung words phonetically, based on how they heard them. Because there was no shared writing system at the time, each recorder produced a different version depending on:
their accent
their limited knowledge of the language
the orthographic rules of the 1800s
the individual Kulin speaker they were listening to
These spellings reflect colonial interpretation, not Boonwurrung identity. They are records of sound — not culture, not law, and not self-determined language.
The spelling Boonwurrung aligns with:
oral pronunciation passed through Boonwurrung families
linguistic analysis from VACL
consistent sound patterns across Kulin languages
the usage of Boonwurrung Elders, knowledge holders, and cultural educators
Using Boonwurrung supports ongoing cultural restoration, placing Indigenous knowledge — not colonial approximation — at the centre of language revival.
“Bunurong” isn’t wrong — it’s simply one of many historical spellings that entered government and heritage paperwork during the 19th and 20th centuries.
However, it:
reflects English-based vowel assumptions
leads to frequent mispronunciations
was adopted into government systems without consultation with Boonwurrung Elders
The movement toward Boonwurrung is a cultural correction that restores the true sound and identity of the people and the language.
In Aboriginal cultures, names carry:
Country
lineage
belonging
responsibility
story
law
Correct spelling is not administrative — it is cultural. Returning to accurate spellings strengthens identity, restores truth, and corrects nearly two centuries of misrecording.
Some groups — including government bodies, health services, or councils — use legacy spellings that were formalised long before proper linguistic consultation existed.
However, organisational naming does not define traditional spelling.
Cultural authority comes from:
Elders
families with continuous connection to Country
community-led language projects
linguists working directly with those Elders
Restoring Boonwurrung is one of many steps in reclaiming cultural accuracy, truth, and identity across Melbourne and the southeast.