Phillip Island may have been visited by more than one aboriginal tribe prior to the arrival of white people. The Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people are the indigenous people of south-eastern Victoria. Their traditional land extends from the Werribee River in the north-west, down to Wilsons Promontory in the south-east, Western Port Bay and Mornington Peninsula, Phillip and French Islands.

Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people are part of a language group or nation known as Koolin. Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people often prefer to be known as Kulin rather than Koorie which is a word from a different language.

During his time on the island in the eighteen hundreds John McHaffie employed two local aboriginals whose “tribe were said to be of the Bass River area. McHaffie found numerous chippings from stone implements in middens near Cat Bay. Middens refer to ancient rubbish heaps marking places where Koorie people ate and stayed for a period of time. The quantity, size and depth of the middens are an indication of how often and long Koorie people spent time in a location.

The only authentic Koorie relics known to be from the island are three weapons made from blackwood. These objects were presented by the McHaffie family to the Phillip Island and Westernport Historical Society. These may be viewed at the Phillip Island Municipal Library. Blackwood can no longer be found on Phillip Island.

The image is of "Peter" and "Eliza" of Western Port tribe circa 1878