▁came ▁back , ▁or ▁perhaps ▁as ▁trad ers ▁from ▁China . ▁ ▁Y ol ŋ u ▁also ▁had ▁well - est ab lished ▁trade ▁routes ▁within ▁Australia , ▁extending ▁to ▁Central ▁Australian ▁cl ans ▁and ▁other ▁Ab original ▁countries . ▁They ▁did ▁not ▁manufact ure ▁bo omer angs ▁themselves ▁but ▁obtained ▁these ▁via ▁trade ▁from ▁Central ▁Australia . ▁This ▁contact ▁was ▁maintained ▁through ▁use ▁of ▁message ▁st icks , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁mail men ▁– ▁with ▁some ▁men ▁walking ▁several ▁hundred ▁kilometres ▁in ▁their ▁work ▁to ▁send ▁messages ▁and ▁relay ▁orders ▁between ▁tribes . ▁ ▁European ▁contact ▁Y ol ŋ u ▁had ▁known ▁about ▁Europe ans ▁before ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁British ▁in ▁Australia ▁through ▁their ▁contact ▁with ▁Mac ass an ▁trad ers , ▁which ▁probably ▁began ▁around ▁the ▁six teenth ▁century . ▁Their ▁word ▁for ▁European , ▁Bal anda , ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Mak ass ar ▁language ▁via ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁" or ang ▁bel anda " ▁( D utch ▁person ). ▁ ▁Nin ete enth ▁century ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 3 , ▁the ▁expl orer ▁David ▁L inds ay ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁colonial ▁white ▁to ▁pen et rate ▁Y ol gnu ▁lands ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁making ▁a ▁survey ▁of ▁its ▁resources ▁and ▁prospect s . ▁He ▁tre kk ed ▁along ▁the ▁Go y der ▁River ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁A raf ura ▁Sw amp ▁on ▁the ▁western ▁fr inge ▁of ▁W ag il ak ▁land . ▁Two ▁years ▁later ▁the ▁first ▁colonial ▁initi ative ▁to ▁try ▁and ▁open ▁up ▁Arn