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What’s in a (funny) name?
It is believed that the local indigenous inhabitants may have named this area “Burragum” because it was a favoured spot to ‘spear fish’, where the river entered the sea.
Europeans are thought to have first explored the area in the 1820’s. While Charles Sturt was charting the inland rivers, and Eyre and Wylie conquered the desert of the Nullarbor plains, the little known explorer, B. Mandownunda, came across the beautiful area of Burragum.
Legend has it that Bill, a keen tea drinker, was so impressed by the flavour of the billy tea made from the sweet fresh water in the Burragum streams, that he modified its name to "Burragumbilli". Of course others say that it was more likely his ego that enticed him to add part of his identity to the name.
Bill was apparently so enchanted by the area that he returned to make his home there. It was at this site that kookaburras gathered at dusk in the gum trees awaiting leftovers as he boiled his billy for the evening meal. – A further commonly held belief of how “Burragumbilli” got its funny name!
Early Background
It seemed that the rich resources of the area attracted settlers. The volcanic soil along the coastal strip drew farmers, while the abundant fish stocks attracted a fledgling fishing fleet. By the 1840’s a small close-knit community was prospering.
1870’s most likely saw the election of the first Mayor, Mr. Justin Wright. He took a keen interest in the safety of his water loving residents, and volunteered to sit on the first Surf Board, upscale the fish co-op, and drink to the opening of the Burragumbilli Hotel.
Behind the fertile green slopes that meet the sea at Burragumbilli’s beautiful Bringaburra Bay rises the craggy outline of the BrokeDown Mountain and beyond that the open red plains as far as the eye can see. To this country prospectors came. When an opal prospector, known as Digger Deep, discovered gold instead, he must have heralded the short-lived 1878 gold rush.
Rapid development then flowed at a time when gold rushes in other areas around Australia ebbed. It brought with it two new commodities, which endure today - precious metal, and beer, - and a heritage, which included Burragumbilli's own bushranger, young Rob Ewe.
This lovable outlaw renamed himself Captain Stringybark in memory of his hero, the infamous bushranger Ned Kelly, whose notorious clash with police troopers at Stringybark Creek lead to his hanging in 1880 when he coined the famous statement “Such is Life”!
However, Captain Stringybark was better known by the locals as the ‘Burragumbilli Man’, (BGB for short…or could it have been Bee Gee? …As long as it wasn’t B.U.M.!) and this name has lived on as a colloquial term for a down to earth bloke who is skilled at bush craft, living life to the fullest - a fun loving, yet practical fellow, who is fiercely independent, can ingeniously live by his wits, and is the life of any party.
Sound familiar?
Indeed today’s Aussies are still known for these characteristics!
Beer Begins
During the gold rush several hotels surely sprung up to service the diggers. Burragumbilli’s original hotel could maintain its popular profile by brewing its own beer from 1879.
It is rumored that the proprietor, R.U. Kidding, began his daring enterprise by experimenting with brewing in a billy tea can and, to supplement the hops which were in short supply, added to the brew the bitterness of leaves from a local eucalypt known as the Burra gum.
With the assistance of the German brewer, Wil Lichderstein, who grew barley and hops on his nearby farms, and who shared his coveted original recipe, the beer of the Burragumbilli Hotel became the favourite beverage of the gold miners.
As the population dwindled when gold fever subsided, the hotel’s brewery stalled. It was destroyed by fire in 1895.
Would you believe that the modern brewery now stands on the same site?
Prosperity Returns
As the spoils of mining became scarcer only the tenacious diggers remained. One family, the four Shaft brothers, never lost their belief that there was more gold to be found. Their persistence paid off, establishing a commercial mine in 1901 - the same year Australia opened federal parliament.
It is believed that the town of today remains a fishing and mixed farming community including vineyards, lucerne (alfalfa), and horse raising, while the
Y.B.M.T. Shaft Pty Ltd mining company secretly continues to produce gold and now also possibly platinum.
The Legend Lives
Today the legend is kept alive by those in search of gold of a different kind......
Listen close and you will hear travellers, fishing enthusiasts, and surfers, describe in muted tones the sensual delights of the lush green valley with meandering streams, and blossom laden trees set between the parched red crags of the outback and the azure sea, … never ending perfect waves and white sand beaches. They revere the tiny town that remains principally to produce the now famous liquid ‘cold gold’ – natural refreshing Burragumbilli beer.
Where is Burrugumbilli?
So you think you know the mysterious whereabouts of this lost district?
Do not be confused with similar Australian place names such as Kirribilli (NSW), Burraga (NSW), Merrigum (Vic), Murrumburra (Qld), Wallumbilla (Qld), Tibooburra (NSW), Billinudgel (NSW), Boggabilla (NSW), Tumbulgum (NSW), or Bulla Burra (NSW).
If you are not from Australia, you may find the pronunciation of some of these places quite difficult at first, but thank goodness Burragumbilli is not as tricky to say as Mundabullangana (WA), Walyormouring (WA), Bellimpopinni (NSW), Gigoomgan (Qld), Yoongarillup (WA), Bungeworgorai (Qld), and Wooroonooran (Qld).
Burragumbilli is also:
not as sharp Razorback,
not as sensitive as Moodiarup and Bellangry,
not as mean as Nokaning,
not as risky as Wagerup, BetBet and Gunawin,
not as rude as Burpengary and Pularumpi,
not as crule as Gundaring, Karoola and Gore,
not as windy as Breeza and Kulja,
not as demanding as Cartmeticup, Bringalily and Gowangardie
not as musical as Tambourine, Burrumbeet, Bobalong and Boodarockin,
not as graceful as Tumbarumba,
not as clumsy as Bungil,
not as hungry as Cookenup and Doughboy
not as thirsty as Gin Gin and Gulpa
not as distant as Binnaway and Bylong,
not as famous as Gooloogong and Gootchie
not as wild as Breakaway,
not as boastful as Blowhard
not as fancyfree as LuckNow and ComeByChance
not as strict as BanBan and Homerule,
not as liberal as Bumbaldry,
not as indulgent as BingeGang,
then not as regretful as Binginwarri,
not as crude as Dunedoo, Koolyanobbing, Innaloo, Moonie and Dunbogan
not as suave as Cooladdi,
not as festive as Jingalup,
and not as lost as Cooee,
and just as friendly as KinKin, Laughtondale and Yabberup.......
Might be getting close near Beeron and Beveridge.......
Could be really close around Beerburrum......
And it surely must be somewhere in the vicinity of BULL Creek!
Now if you have any other clues to the whereabouts of Burragumbilli please share with us.
What has become of this legendary place, where is it, and what were its real origins?
We may never be sure, but...
THIS we DO KNOW for certain:
The Facts
Today Burragumbilli's brewery combines the best of modern technology with traditional handcrafted methods and quality ingredients. We have retained an original recipe, which follows the fine simplicity of the old German standard - Reinheitsgebot. Just as the brewer's skill of old and the hand cultivated, hand sprouted crops of the pioneering days produced a pristine beer without the need for additives, Burragumbilli today uses certified organically grown barley to produce that clean refreshing taste and full flavour.
We use nothing artificial, no added sugar. Each batch is assessed by the ACO (Australian Certified Organic) and certified to contain no harmful chemical residues.
Beer simply couldn’t be any better.
So what's in a funny name?
Well of course,
Pure ingredients…pure style…pure taste.
Enjoy ‘Burragumbilli’…….'super'natural beer!
Burragumbilli - Certified Organic Lager... Naturally Better Beer!