Bungarim was the Ngurungaeta (clan leader) of the Marin Balluk clan at the time of colonisation in 1835. The Marin Balluk clan’s Country included the area through which the creek flows.

Bungarim was a guardian / shared custodian of the Mount William stone quarry. Alfred Howitt recounted a story told to him by William Barak of a meeting regarding a dispute over the unlawful removal of stone from the quarry, in which Bungarim was a participant. 

He was one of the eight clan leaders who reportedly attached a mark to the infamous John Batman “treaty” in 1835 (where his name is recorded as “Bungarie”). William Barak was eleven years old when he witnessed the “signing” of the treaty, later declared void. While names such as William Barak and others are more commonly known, those of the earlier Ngurungaeta are not as well known. I am hopeful that this naming proposal can go some way towards addressing that.

There is evidence of Aboriginal inhabitation of the area in the form of a scarred tree very close by along with artifact scatters, and a silcrete quarry site is present nearby. Not far from here, on the banks of the Maribyrnong River, the "Green Gully remains" were discovered. Radiocarbon dating indicated that they were about 6460 years old and one of the most significant Aboriginal archeological discoveries in Victoria.

The creek lies in a largely untouched area of bushland in an otherwise urban setting. It flows beneath the roots of a huge River Red Gum, estimated to be around 350 years old and possibly the oldest in the Metropolitan Melbourne section of the Marin Balluk clan’s traditional land. It would have been there for the entirety of Bungarim’s life. 

The naming proposal intends to formally name the creek after Bungarim to honour and remember this long forgotten early Marin Balluk clan leader who deserves some local recognition. It is my heartfelt view that naming such a beautiful place as this creek after Bungarim is a fitting way to remember the first recorded Ngurungaeta of the Marin Balluk clan.

The proposed name enables the wider community to be educated about Traditional Owner history and culture. It provides an important opportunity for the community to learn about who Bungarim was.