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88-450: Rottnest Island ( Nyungar : Wadjemup ), often colloquially referred to as "Rotto", is a 19-square-kilometre (7.3 sq mi) island off the coast of Western Australia , located 18 kilometres (11 mi) west of Fremantle . A sandy, low-lying island formed on a base of aeolianite limestone , Rottnest is an A-class reserve, the highest level of protection afforded to public land . Together with Garden Island , Rottnest Island

176-654: A Body Corporate on 24 July 1956. The Rottnest Island Board of Control became the Rottnest Island Board of Management "with power to sue and be sued in its corporate name, to acquire, hold, lease and dispose of real and personal property, to borrow money with the approval of the Governor and to do and permit to be done all things which are required by the Act to the be done by the Board ;...", until 1988 at which time it became

264-568: A dialect of, or closely related to, Wudjari, in which case their language would have been part of the Noongar subgroup. Njakinjaki (Nyakinyaki) was possibly a dialect of Kalaamaya – a language related to, but separate from, the original Noongar subgroup. It is not clear if the Njunga (or Nunga) dialect was significantly different from Wudjari. However, according to Norman Tindale , the Njunga people rejected

352-400: A good deal of brushwood and many thornbushes, so that it is hard to go over; here certain animals are found, since we saw many excrements, and besides two seals and a wild cat, resembling a civet-cat, but with browner hair. This island is dangerous to touch at, owing to the rocky reefs which are level with the water and below the surface, almost along the whole length of the shore; between it and

440-507: A lookout to coordinate aiming and firings from the Bickley and Oliver Hill Batteries. A Signals Building, associated with the BOP and a Women's Army Barracks, built to house officers and staff who operated the BOP were constructed there also. The latter building is used nowadays for occasional accommodation for University and other scientific research groups working on the island. After World War II,

528-479: A new hospital to be built for the Indigenous prisoners. In May 1898, two boys disappeared, apparently drowned, after escaping from the reformatory and stealing a dinghy. After 20 years of operation, the facility closed on 21 September 1901 when the remaining 14 inmates were transferred to an industrial school on the mainland. The reformatory buildings were used as holiday accommodation as part of

616-568: A permanent settlement was built in Thomson Bay. From 1838 to 1931, Rottnest Island was also used as a prison and forced labour camp for over 3,600 Aboriginal people, who were subjected to extremely harsh conditions on the island. Other historical uses of the island include as a military site, and for internment camps housing enemy aliens. Many of the island's buildings date from the colonial period, often made from locally quarried limestone, and are now used as accommodation for holidays. Rottnest

704-404: A pirate ship or in need of repairs while in hostile waters—a beach would have to do. The ship would have been lightened beforehand by removing all stores, and a careening wharf would have had large sheds available to protect them from weather and theft. With one side of the ship raised out of the water, maintenance work would be carried out. When the tide returned, the ship would be floated off and

792-419: A severe influenza epidemic in 1883, the colonial surgeon, Alfred Waylen , directed one of the large rooms in the reformatory to be used as a hospital. An estimate of sixty Indigenous deaths for that year was given by eye-witness, Edward Watson. In 1887, the prison superintendent reported one room in the reformatory still being used for sick prisoners, with two rooms used the previous winter, and made an appeal for

880-454: A spot to pitch tents. A reformatory for boys was opened on 16 May 1881. The reformatory buildings were adjacent to the Quod and included a workshop, a kitchen, two large dormitories, a school room and four small cells. Carpenter John Watson constructed the buildings and became the superintendent for the life of the establishment. Watson taught the boys carpentry, joinery and gardening. During

968-563: A variety of the language by Clive Humphreys of Kellerberrin , and is teaching Noongar to inmates in Perth prisons. Peter Bindon and Ross Chadwick have compiled an authoritative cross referenced "A Nyoongar Wordlist: from the South West of Western Australia", by assembling material from all of the above writers in their original spelling. It is clear from this reference that the orthographies used reflected not only dialectical differences, but also how

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1056-474: A very significant fire which consumed around two-thirds of the island in 1955. Some of these bushfires were caused by European hunting parties and on one occasion almost wiped out the quokka population. In 1846, a pilot service was established under Captain Edward Back. It continued for 56 years until 1903. The pilot's and crews quarters were located in at least three of the colonial buildings identified in

1144-401: Is a remnant of Pleistocene dune ridges. Along with several other islands, Rottnest became separated from the mainland around 7,000 years ago, when sea levels rose; the traditional Noongar name for the island is Wadjemup , which means 'place across the water where the spirits are'. Human artefacts have been found on the island dating back at least 30,000 years, but visitation and habitation of

1232-457: Is also true for intensified or emphatic adjectives, comparable to the English word very . The superlative is formed by the addition of - jil . Statements are negated by adding the appropriate particle to the end of the sentence. There are three negation particles: There is also an adverbial negation word, bru , roughly equivalent to the English less or without . Questions are formed by

1320-541: Is an Australian Aboriginal language or dialect continuum , spoken by some members of the Noongar community and others. It is taught actively in Australia, including at schools, universities and through public broadcasting. The country of the Noongar people is the southwest corner of Western Australia . Within that region, many Noongar words have been adopted into English, particularly names of plants and animals. Noongar

1408-502: Is an unincorporated area with no local government, subject to direct administration by the government of Western Australia. It is administered by the state's Rottnest Island Authority , which on 1 July 2017 became part of the newly created Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions . Rottnest is well known for its population of quokkas, and is also home to colonies of Australian sea lions and southern fur seals, as well as various birds and three native tree species, notably

1496-457: Is because in the Noongar language, -up means "place of". For example, the name Ongerup means "place of the male kangaroo". The word gur , ger or ker in Noongar meant "a gathering". Daisy Bates suggests that central to Noongar culture was the karlupgur , referring to those that gather around the hearth ( karlup ). Noongar words which have been adopted into Western Australian English , or more widely in English , include

1584-503: Is continuing as of April 2021 , with the site growing in the Wikimedia Incubator . It is the first Misplaced Pages in an Aboriginal Australian language site, but it is intended to be bilingual , so as to be used as a teaching aid in schools. Singer-songwriter Gina Williams has promoted the use of the language through song, including lullabies for children and a translation of the song " Moon River ". An adaption and translation of

1672-679: Is the largest known deaths in custody gravesite in Australia. Historical records note that the first cemetery, likely adjacent to the European cemetery, became full following an outbreak of influenza in 1883 and that a second was established further away from the prison. The area is now known as the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground. Although slavery, as legally defined, was never widespread in Western Australia (and, indeed, called blackbirding rather than plain slavery in

1760-477: Is thought to have been unoccupied for thousands of years. The island was observed and explored by various Dutch, French and English maritime expeditions from around 1619 onward, including by Frederick de Houtman around 28 July 1619. The first Europeans known to have landed on Rottnest Island were about 14 sailors from a Dutch expedition, including Abraham Leeman van Santwits from Waeckende Boey , who landed near Bathurst Point on 19 March 1658 while their ship

1848-801: The Languages Other Than English (LOTE) curriculum which would be taught in schools, it was decided to change to "Noongar". By 2010, 37 schools in the South West and Perth were teaching the language. In 2014, the Noongar Boodjar Language Cultural Aboriginal Corporation (NBLCAC) was incorporated, and the Commonwealth Government provided funding for four years from 2015 under the Indigenous Languages Support program to establish

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1936-572: The Rottnest Island pine . The island is a popular recreational and tourist destination, with daily ferry services from Perth , the state's capital and largest city. It has a permanent population of around 300 people, with around 780,000 annual visitors. The land that is now Rottnest Island was inhabited by Noongar people until rising sea levels separated it from the mainland of Western Australia about 7,000 years ago. The island features in Noongar story lines as Wadjemup. Aboriginal artefacts on

2024-754: The Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth into Noongar was performed at the 2020 Perth Festival . The play, named Hecate , is produced by Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company with Bell Shakespeare , and performed by an all-Noongar cast. The play took years to translate, and has sparked wider interest in reviving the language. On July 2022, rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard released a special edition of their album Butterfly 3000 with all its 10 songs translated into Noongar by Merinda Hansen and Lois Spehn-Jackson; all proceedings of this edition are donated to

2112-420: The colonial buildings of Rottnest Island —buildings 4, 5 and 6. Rottnest was the site of internment camps in both World War I and World War II In World War I, it was mostly used for German and Austrian suspected enemy aliens, and was closed towards the end of the war, due to poor living conditions. The camp was sited near the present-day Caroline Thomson Camping Area. In World War II,

2200-519: The pearling industry ), the "assignment" system effectively implemented a system of forced labour, and was condemned by Reverend J. B. Gribble and the Anti-Slavery Society . Aboriginal people who refused assignment were sent to Rottnest Island to be "civilised", and were used in chain gangs to perform hard labour including farming, quarrying and collecting salt. Most of the island's historic Settlement—including Government House (Hotel Rottnest),

2288-585: The 1930s and then more intensively in the 1960s Wilfrid Douglas learnt and studied Noongar, eventually producing a grammar, dictionary, and other materials. More recently, Noongar people have taken a major role in this work as researchers, for example Rose Whitehurst who compiled the Noongar Dictionary in her work for the Noongar Language and Culture Centre. In 2012 Tim McCabe finished a PhD on Noongar place names, songs and stories, having been taught

2376-577: The Fremantle port. The location of the island was seen as being important to the defense of the important port of Fremantle, the major base for the Allies in the Indian Ocean, as bombardment of any attacking ships could be made from the island before the ships would come into range of the port. A light railway was built from the jetty at Kingstown Barracks on Thomson Bay, to transport materiel and munitions to

2464-525: The Langford Aboriginal Association. Several mobile apps have been created that use Noongar language, both written and spoken. These include a plant identification app, dictionary, and cultural information. The following are the sounds in the Noongar language: /r/ can be heard as either [r, ɾ] or a glide [ɹ]. Noongar grammar is fairly typical of Pama–Nyungan languages in that it is agglutinating , with words and phrases formed by

2552-607: The Language in Common Use Amongst the Aborigines of Western Australia by George Fletcher Moore , later republished in 1884 as part of Moore's diary . This work included a substantial wordlist of Noongar. The first modern linguistic research on Noongar was carried out by Gerhardt Laves on the variety known as "Koreng", near Albany in 1930, but this material was lost for many years and has only recently been recovered. Beginning in

2640-671: The Noongar Language Centre. The offices are located in Cannington . In 2015 Professor Len Collard from the School of Indigenous Studies at the University of Western Australia challenged the science behind the claim that it is an endangered language, citing the lack of rigour in the data. Collard began leading a project to create the " Noongarpedia ", recording the language in a wiki format, allowing for expansion over time. The project

2728-400: The Noongar subgroup: Wudjari, Minang, Bibelman (a.k.a. Pibelman; Bibbulman), Kaneang (Kaniyang), Wardandi, Balardung (a.k.a. Ballardong; which probably included Tjapanmay/Djabanmai), and Yuat (Juat). Wiilman, Whadjuk (Wajuk) and Pinjarup are also usually regarded as dialects of Noongar, although this identification is not completely secure. The Koreng (Goreng) people are thought to have spoken

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2816-485: The Parks and Reserves Act to control and manage the island (excluding the lighthouse and prison reserve). The Board of Control became a Body Corporate in 1956 and became a Board of Management. Between 24 July 1956 and 29 May 1988, it was changed to the "Board of Management". Section 3, subsection 4 of the Parks and Reserves Act 1895–1955 provided legislative scope for the Rottnest Island Board of Control became

2904-623: The Rottnest Island Authority. During this time the managing instrumentality was informally and generally referred to as the "Rottnest Island Board" (RIB). In 1988 the "Rottnest Island Authority" commenced operations. In May 1966, Rottnest Island and Carnac Island were included in the boundaries of the Shire of Cockburn, which became the City of Cockburn in 1971. However, the council has "no involvement in or responsibility for any functions relating to

2992-474: The Rottnest Lodge until 2022 when they were closed for redevelopment of more recently constructed parts of the site to create new accommodation and tourist facilities. In 1856, the settlement structures—the two-storey prison / workshop building, stables, barns and piggery were burnt down. Their former locations are identified in the area between the shops in the settlement area. The fire was deliberately lit by

3080-414: The addition of affixes to verb and noun stems. Word order in Noongar is free, but generally tends to follow a subject–object–verb pattern. Because there are several varieties of Noongar, aspects of grammar, syntax and orthography are highly regionally variable. Like most Australian languages, Noongar has a complex tense and aspect system. The plain verb stem functions as both the infinitive and

3168-475: The addition of suffixes. Nouns that end in vowels take the plural suffix - man , whereas nouns that end in consonants take - gar . Inanimate nouns, that is, nouns that do not denote human beings, can also be pluralized by the simple addition of a numeral. Noongar pronouns are declined exactly as nouns, taking the same endings. Thus, possessive pronouns are formed by the addition of the regular genitive suffix - ang . Conversely, object pronouns are formed by

3256-589: The addition of the - any suffix. Notably, there does not appear to be a great deal of pronominal variation across dialectal lines. Noongar features a set of dual number pronouns which identify interpersonal relationships based on kinship or marriage. The "fraternal" dual pronouns are used by and for people who are siblings or close friends, "paternal" dual pronouns are used by and for people who are paternal relatives (parent-child, uncle-niece and so forth), and "marital" pronouns are used by and for people who are married to each other or are in-laws. Typically, if

3344-528: The addition of the interrogative interjection kannah alongside the infinitive root of the verb. Many words vary in a regular way from dialect to dialect, depending on the area. For example: the words for bandicoot include quernt (south) and quenda (west); the word for water may be käip (south) or kapi (west), or the word for fire may vary from kaall to karl . A large number of modern place names in Western Australia end in -up , such as Joondalup , Nannup and Manjimup . This

3432-439: The camp was used exclusively for Italian enemy aliens and was situated near the airstrip. It had capacity for 120 internees. It was closed about halfway through the war, and its occupants were sent to various other internment and work camps on the mainland. Also during World War II, two 9.2-inch guns were installed near the middle of the island at Oliver Hill, and two six-inch guns installed at Bickley Point, for defence of

3520-559: The church, Salt Store, museum, gift shop, original waterfront cottages and The Quod—was built by forced Aboriginal prison labour working under extremely harsh conditions. Six Aboriginal prisoners were sent to Rottnest Island in August 1838 under the superintendence of Constable Laurence Welch and a small military force: Helia, for murder; Buoyeen, for assault; Molly Dobbin, Tyoocan, Goodap and Cogat, for theft. All six escaped shortly after their arrival by stealing Thomson's boat. Helia drowned during

3608-665: The control and management of the islands". On 28 April 2017, the government of Western Australia announced that the Department of Parks and Wildlife would merge with the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority , the Zoological Parks Authority and the Rottnest Island Authority on 1 July 2017 to form the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions . Nyungar language Noongar ( / ˈ n ʊ ŋ ɑːr / ; also Nyungar / ˈ n j ʊ ŋ ɡ ɑːr / )

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3696-508: The crossing, but the others apparently survived. The Colonial Secretary, Peter Broun , announced in June 1839 that the island would be converted to "an Establishment for the Aborigines", and between 1838 and 1931 (except for the period from 1849 to 1855) Rottnest was used as an Aboriginal prison. Henry Vincent , the Gaoler at Fremantle, was put in charge of the establishment. On 7 December 1848, there

3784-619: The deaths were from influenza . In 2015—after numerous protests from local Aboriginal people for the Rottnest Island Authority to create a memorial recognising the events, deaths and unmarked graves which lie on Rottnest Island—work begun on the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground . Artefacts from this period continue to be identified and recorded. Len Collard describes these artefacts, such as glass and ceramic spearheads, as an important demonstration of transitional cultural engineering through use of traditional methods to modify

3872-473: The establishment of the British Swan River Colony at nearby Fremantle , William Clarke and Robert Thomson received land grants for town lots and pasture land on the island. Thomson immediately moved to the island with his wife and eight children. He developed pasture land for hay production west of Herschel Lake as well as salt harvesting from the several salt lakes which was then exported to

3960-412: The event of the verb took place. There are no articles in Noongar. Nouns (as well as adjectives) take a variety of suffixes which indicate grammatical case , specifically relating to motion or direction, among other distinctions. The direct object of a sentence (what might be called the dative) can also be expressed with the locative suffix - ak . Grammatical number is likewise expressed by

4048-603: The first things built when the navy was establishing a new overseas base. However, dockyards in the United Kingdom typically had dry docks . Careening placed a hull under a considerable strain and even a strongly built ship could be structurally weakened or damaged by the procedure. Using a dry dock was preferred if one was available. At the end of the 18th century, the Royal Navy had 24 dry docks available in Britain, so careening

4136-570: The given name Kylie, "boomerang", gilgie or jilgie , the freshwater crayfish Cherax quinquecarinatus , and gidgie or gidgee , "spear". The word for smoke, karrik , was adopted for the family of compounds known as karrikins . The word kodj "to be hit on the head" comes from the term for a stone axe . The word quokka , denoting a type of small macropod , is thought to come from Noongar. Careen The term, and similar terms in French, Spanish and Italian, derive from

4224-404: The guns and infrastructure were decommissioned and parts of the railway removed. The 9.2-inch battery, however, was saved from disposal because the high cost of removing and shipping the guns to the mainland exceeded their value as scrap metal. In the 1990s, the gun emplacements and railway were extensively reconstructed, and since then a popular tourist activity has included a tour of the guns and

4312-474: The guns. Captain (later Brigadier) Frank Bertram Hussey (1908–1985) was seconded from the Australian Staff Corps to oversee the construction of this. The military fixtures including the barracks and railway became known as the "Rottnest Island Fortress". A number of concrete lookouts and bunkers were built around the island also. Near Wadjemup Lighthouse , a Battery Observation Post (BOP) was built as

4400-537: The hull and all the masts and rigging removed except for the lowest parts. The lower gun ports were sealed, reinforced and made watertight. Also a large number of thick, timber outriggers were installed; these were up to two feet (61 cm) across and 40 feet (12 m) long. The ship was pulled over by ropes wound around three capstans; each was turned by 120 men. In the 18th century, careening wharves existed at overseas Royal Navy dockyards such as Port Mahon and Halifax . They were important facilities and often

4488-471: The island by the Noongar people appears to have ceased following its separation from the mainland. The island was first documented by Willem de Vlamingh in 1696, who called it ' t Eylandt 't Rottenest ("Rats' Nest Island") after the quokka population. Following establishment of the Swan River Colony (now Perth) in 1829, the island was initially used by British settlers for agricultural purposes, and

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4576-457: The island have been dated from 6,500 to more than 30,000 years ago. However, other evidence suggests human occupation significantly before 50,000, possibly as early as 70,000  BP . No evidence has been found that the Whadjuk Noongar people continued to inhabit or visit the island after its separation from the mainland, and by the time of European exploration in the 1600s, the island

4664-499: The islands in the Caribbean and nearly around the world. One group of islands, Las Tres Marías in Panama , became popular after Francis Drake had sailed there in 1579, and they became a popular place for piracy. A practice similar to careening was a Parliamentary heel , in which the vessel was heeled over in deep water by shifting weight, such as ballast or guns, to one side. In this way

4752-414: The language. Educators Glenys Collard and Rose Whitehurst started recording elders speaking using Noongar language in 1990. In 1997 at a meeting of around 200 Noongar people at Marribank , a standard orthography was agreed on for teaching the language in schools. A unanimous vote decided that the language would be spelt "Nyoongar", but later, as teaching and learning resources were being developed for

4840-533: The languages of the Noongar people and came to the conclusion that there was much in common between them. Just prior to publication, he received from Mr Bussel of the Busselton district a list of 320 words from that region which was near identical to those he had collected in the Swan River region. Much to Grey's disappointment, his work was published in an unfinished list as he was leaving the colony, but he believed that

4928-407: The mainland settlement. Salt was an important commodity before the advent of refrigeration. Between 1838 and 1931, Aboriginal prisoners held on Rottnest Island were held in deplorable conditions and subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment. Of the approximately 3,600 people imprisoned there, at least 373 people died and were buried in unmarked graves in at least two areas to the north of the Quod. It

5016-746: The mainland there are also numerous rocks and reefs, and slightly more to southward there is another small island. This large island to which we have been unwilling to give a name, leaving this matter to the Honourable Lord Governor-General's pleasure, may be seen at 7 or 8 miles' distance out at sea in fine weather. I surmise that brackish or freshwater might be obtainable there, and likewise good firewood, but not without great trouble. In his 1681 chart, English captain John Daniel marked an island as Maiden's Isle , possibly referring to Rottnest. The name did not survive, however. The island

5104-406: The map shown here may correspond to the Noongar subgroup. The subdivisions shown correspond to individual varieties . In modern Noongar, these varieties have merged. There is controversy in some cases as to whether all of these varieties were part of the original Noongar subgroup. Some may have been distinct languages and some may have belonged to neighbouring subgroups. Many linguists believe that

5192-401: The mastheads to strong points on the shore while the tide went out. If this was being done on a beach, then the ship's guns might be moved to the shore and used as anchoring points. However, a careening wharf in a dockyard was preferred, as it would have been equipped with the capstans and rope tackle necessary for hauling over the ship. If a dockyard was not available—for example, the ship was

5280-544: The modern Noongar language following colonisation. A 1990 conference organised by the Nyoongar Language Project Advisory Panel recognised that the Noongar subgroup included at least three distinct languages. This was highlighted by the 2011 Noongar Dictionary , edited by Bernard Rooney, which was based on the Yuat (Juat) variety, from the northwest part of the Noongar subgroup area. The highlighted area of

5368-543: The name Wudjari and had adopted some of the customs of their non-Noongar-speaking eastern neighbours, the Ngadjunmaya . The Noongar names for birds were included in Serventy and Whittell 's Birds of Western Australia (1948), noting their regional variations. A later review and synthesis of recorded names and consultation with Noongars produced a list of recommended orthography and pronunciation for birds (2009) occurring in

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5456-412: The new materials of European settlement. Five Aboriginal prisoners were executed on Rottnest in the late 19th century, all for murder: In 2015 the restoration and recognition of the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground began. As of June 2016 buildings have been removed from the site and pathway constructed around it. Prior to the closure of the tourist camp in 2018, the burial ground was being using as

5544-419: The northern side of the island, near The Basin. He described the island as "...pleasurable above all islands I have ever seen—a paradise on earth". During their time on the island, they found no people. Holes were dug on the island, yielding water of good drinking quality. They also noted that the wood from the trees on the island had an exquisite scent—akin to rosewood —and a quantity was cut and brought on board

5632-520: The northernmost language shown, Amangu, was not part of the Noongar subgroup, was instead a part of the Kartu subgroup , and may have been a dialect of the Kartu language Nhanda . (As such, Amangu may have been synonymous with a dialect known as Nhanhagardi, which has also been classified, at different times, as a part of Nhanda, Noongar, or Widi .) There is a general consensus that the following varieties belong to

5720-404: The present tense. Verb phrases are formed by adding suffixes or adverbs to the verb stem. The following adverbs are used to indicate grammatical tense or aspect . Some tense/aspect distinctions are indicated by use of a verb suffix. In Noongar, the past or preterite tense is the same as the past participle. A few adverbs are used with the past tense to indicate the amount of time since

5808-409: The prison was announced. At that time, there were 33 Aboriginal prisoners serving sentences there. However, the prison continued to be used as a forced labour camp for Aboriginal prisoners until 1931. Some 3,700 Aboriginal men and boys were imprisoned there during the life of the establishment. There may be as many as 369 inmates' graves on the island; one writer has suggested that 95% of

5896-447: The process repeated if necessary on the other side. While a competent crew could careen their ship without outside assistance, it was a laborious task. In early 1843, HMS Formidable was careened at Malta Dockyard to carry out repairs after the ship had grounded a few weeks earlier. An account of the work done notes that every movable item on the ship had to be taken off. Additional structural reinforcements had to be installed in

5984-411: The publication would assist in communication between settlers and Noongar people. Also noted by Grey was that the Noongar language had no soft ⟨c⟩ sound, there was no use of ⟨f⟩ and that ⟨h⟩ was very rarely used and never at the start of a word. Serious documentation of the Noongar language began in 1842 with the publication of A Descriptive Vocabulary of

6072-517: The region. The author, Ian Abbott, also published these recommendations for plants (1983) and mammals (2001), and proposed that these replace other vernacular in common use. A number of small wordlists were recorded in the early days of the Swan River Colony , for example Robert Menli Lyon 's 1833 publication A Glance at the Manners and Language of Aboriginal Inhabitants of Western Australia . Lyon acquired much of his information from Yagan while Yagan

6160-513: The roof of Vincent's kitchen and proceeded to the salt house, through the window of which they got out a dinghy which was confined there. They then went to the pilot's whaleboat moored a short distance offshore, and succeeded in getting to the mainland 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of Fremantle. Five of the escapees were retaken by J. Drummond at Toodyay . A quadrangular building was constructed in 1863–1864 and generally referred to as "the Quod "; it

6248-533: The ship. Other explorers who stopped at the island included members of the French expedition of Nicholas Baudin in Naturaliste and Geographe in 1801 (when he planted a flag and left a bottle with a letter) and 1803, Phillip Parker King in 1822, and Captain James Stirling in 1827. Early visitors commonly reported that much of the island was heavily wooded, which is not the case today. In 1831, shortly after

6336-661: The south west of Western Australia . As of 2022 it is one of the 24 Aboriginal languages being taught at 68 schools in Western Australia to around 10,000 students. Curtin University offers an open online Noongar language and culture course. The Noongar Language and Culture Centre was set up at the Bunbury Aboriginal Progress Association in 1986, and grew to include offices in Northam and Perth. Authors such as Charmaine Bennell have released several books in

6424-500: The subject of a sentence is not qualified by a numeral or adjective, a subject-marker pronoun is used. Thus: yongka baal boyak yaakiny (lit. "kangaroo it on-rock standing"), "the kangaroo is standing on the rock." Adjectives precede nouns. Some adjectives form the comparative by addition of the suffix - jin but more generally the comparative is formed by reduplication , a common feature in Pama-Nyungan languages. The same

6512-554: The superintendent, Henry Vincent, after two prisoners had escaped into nearby bush. Vincent lit the fire with the intent of flushing the prisoners out of their hiding place. The prevailing winds at the time were blowing away from the buildings; however, the wind changed direction which brought the flames into the settlement. About 50 tons of hay was also destroyed. Major bushfires occurred in March ;1894, January 1910, January 1917, March 1939, February 1949, and

6600-454: The term for a ship's keel — carène (French), carena (Spanish), carena (Italian). These come from the Latin term for keel, carīna . The ship was grounded broadside on a steep beach at high tide or, in dockyards, moored at a permanent facility for careening known as a careening wharf . A beach favoured for careening was called a careenage . The vessel was then pulled over with tackles from

6688-418: The tunnels, with the journey to the battery being made on a purpose-built train from Kingstown Barracks. Prior to about 1880, communication with the mainland was primarily with semaphore flags and flares . A staffed lookout at Bathurst Point included a signalling station which relayed shipping information between Wadjemup Lighthouse at the centre of the island and Arthur Head at Fremantle. A heliograph

6776-413: The upper sides could be cleaned or repaired with minimal delay. Famously, HMS Royal George sank at Spithead off Portsmouth while undergoing a Parliamentary heel in 1782, killing hundreds of people on board. Careening in the traditional sense can only be done on a sailing vessel as its masts are used for hauling it over. Today, larger ships are placed in dry dock; smaller vessels can be lifted from

6864-532: The various authors "heard" and transcribed spoken Noongar. An English dialect with Noongar admixture , known as Neo-Nyungar , is the community dialect of the Nyungar people. On the 2016 census , 443 people identified themselves as speaking Noongar at home. Since the late 20th century, there has been increased interest in reviving the Noongar/Nyungar language, including teaching it at many schools throughout

6952-408: The water by a crane or a travel lift . A procedure known as careening is still sometimes done with smaller boats, but differs from what was done historically in that the boat is not winched over by cables attached to the mast. The boat is simply moored at a location where it will be grounded and its hull exposed at low tide. For a few hours, it is possible to carry out inspection or maintenance before

7040-523: Was careened nearby. Waeckende Boey (under command of Samuel Volkersen) had been searching for survivors of Vergulde Draeck , which had been wrecked off the western coast of Australia in April 1656. Volkersen described the island in his journal: In slightly under 32° S. Lat. there is a large island, at about 3 miles' distance from the mainland of the South-land ; this island has high mountains, with

7128-442: Was another escape by Aboriginal prisoners, with eight out of the 10 prisoners then on the island escaping. Those who escaped came from the north and eastward. "The plan of escape, as related by one of themselves, exhibits considerable foresight and sagacity, being not only well conceived, but as well executed". The Aboriginals burrowed under the sill door until there was room for them to all pass underneath. They all then crept over

7216-405: Was first recorded in 1801 by Matthew Flinders , who made a number of word lists. It is generally agreed that there was no single, standard Noongar (or Nyungar) language before European settlement: it was a subgroup (or possibly a dialect continuum ) of closely related languages, whose speakers were differentiated geographically and, in some cases, by cultural practices. The dialects merged into

7304-466: Was given the name ' t Eylandt 't Rottenest ('Rats' Nest Island'; the quokkas were mistaken for large rats) by Dutch captain Willem de Vlamingh , who spent six days exploring the island from 29 December 1696. De Vlamingh led a fleet of three ships, De Geelvink , De Nijptang and Weseltje , searching for the survivors of Ridderschap van Holland that had gone missing two years earlier, and anchored on

7392-535: Was incarcerated on Carnac Island . Despite the significance of Lyon's work in being the first of its kind, George Fletcher Moore described Lyon's work as "containing many inaccuracies and much that was fanciful". During August and October 1839 the Perth Gazette published Vocabulary of the Aboriginal people of Western Australia , written by Lieutenant Grey of HM 83rd Regiment. Grey spent twelve months studying

7480-401: Was installed in 1879 at Signal Hill, the small rise overlooking the main settlement in Thomson Bay. A Frenchman by the name of Henri Courderot was the heliograph operator and was paid $ 10 per year to operate the service once a day weather permitting. A single circuit submarine communications cable was laid from Cottesloe in 1900, after which the heliograph service was discontinued. This

7568-528: Was not usually necessary for ships stationed in British waters. This gave an advantage over their French rivals, as France had few dry docks, and the French Navy had to routinely careen its ships for maintenance. Pirates would often careen their ships because they had no access to dry docks. A secluded bay would suffice for necessary repairs or hull cleaning, and such little "safe havens" could be found throughout

7656-539: Was replaced with a larger cable in 1935. After Rottnest was proclaimed as an A-class Reserve in 1917, management was vested in the "Rottnest Island Board of Control" which continued until 1956. The first chairman was Hal Colebatch , who served from 13 May 1917 to 23 July 1956. Rottnest Island was declared an A class reserve under the Permanent Reserves Act in May ;1917. A Board was then appointed under

7744-404: Was used for tourist accommodation until 2018, when it was closed after decades of protests by Aboriginal people. There were about twenty prisoners there in 1844; by 1880, there were 170. Vincent retired in 1867 after complaints regarding cruelty to prisoners; he was replaced by William Jackson. In the early 1880s, an influenza epidemic struck, killing about sixty inmates. In 1902, the abolition of

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