101-680: Whadjuk , alternatively Witjari , are Noongar ( Aboriginal Australian ) people of the Western Australian region of the Perth bioregion of the Swan Coastal Plain . The ethnonym appears to derive from whad , the Whadjuk word for "no". The traditional tribal territory of the Whadjuk, in Norman Tindale 's estimate, takes in some 6,700 square kilometres (2,600 sq mi) of land, from
202-538: A Military party, receiving 3 balls in his head, one in his body.' According to the Perth Gazette, the execution was witnessed by a 'great number of persons ... although the Execution was sudden and the hour unknown.' "The feeling which was generally expressed was that of satisfaction at what had taken place, and in some instances loud and vehement exaltation, which the solemnity of the scene, – a fellow human being – although
303-854: A Sherriff, the warrant was directed to the Magistrates of the District of Perth, the duty therefore devolved upon J. Morgan Esq., as Government Resident, who immediately proceeded to carry the sentence into execution. The death warrant was read aloud to the persons assembled who immediately afterwards went inside the Jail, with the Constables and the necessary attendants, to prepare the Prisoner for his fate. Midgegooroo, on seeing that preparations were making [sic.] to punish him, yelled and struggled most violently to escape. These efforts availed him little, in less than five minutes he
404-452: A barbarous life when grown up.' The Noongar population appears to have remained unaware of Midgegooroo's fate, possibly to ensure that the news would not reach the feared Yagan. Four days after the execution, G. F. Moore recorded an encounter with Yagan near his homestead when he arrived with Munday, Migo and seven others, possibly with the aim of finding out from Moore what had happened to his father. Moore, caught by surprise, decided to conceal
505-587: A contraceptive effect. As early as 10,000 BP local people utilised quartz , replacing chert flint for spear and knife edges when the chert deposits were submerged by sea level rise during the Flandrian transgression . Before the arrival of Europeans , the Noongar population has been variously estimated at between 6,000 and some tens of thousands. Colonisation by the British brought both violence and new diseases, taking
606-506: A cycle of increased violence on both sides. The first attempted Aboriginal massacre was the "Battle for Perth" when there was an attempt to surround and capture Aboriginal people who had retreated into Lake Monger. The area was cordoned, but the hunted people escaped. Once Lake Monger was settled by the Monger family, Yellagonga moved to Lake Joondalup . In 1834 this Wanneroo area was explored by John Butler , and in 1838 by George Grey . With
707-404: A heavy toll on the population. The Noongar, like many other Aboriginal peoples, saw the arrival of Europeans as the returning of deceased people, often imagining them as relatives who deserved accommodation. As they approached from the west, the newcomers were called djaanga (or djanak ), meaning "white spirits". Initially, relations were generally cordial. Matthew Flinders recognised
808-463: A judgment which recognised native title in an area over the city of Perth and its surrounds, known as Bennell v State of Western Australia [2006] FCA 1243. An appeal was subsequently lodged and was heard in April 2007. The remainder of the larger "Single Noongar Claim" area, covering 193,956 km (74,887 sq mi) of the south-west of Western Australia, remains outstanding, and will hinge on
909-518: A living by hunting and trapping a variety of game, including kangaroos, possums and wallabies; for people close to the coastal zone or riverine systems, spear-fishing or culling fish in traps was customary. An extensive range of edible wild plants were also available, including yams and wattle seeds. Nuts of the zamia palm , eaten during the Djeran season (April–May) required extensive treatment to remove their toxicity , and for women, they may have had
1010-723: A long-boat under the command of Captain (later Lieutenant Governor) Irwin was dispatched and met with Yellagonga and his family at Crawley , on the coast of what is now the University of Western Australia or by Mount Eliza . As Aboriginal women had been earlier seized by European seal hunters, Yellagonga subsequently moved his encampment to what is now Lake Monger . With the alienation from their lands due to settlers claiming land and fencing it off, Aboriginal people lost access to important seasonal foods, they did not understand or accept private ownership of their lands, which led to spearing of stock and digging in food gardens. Reprisals led to
1111-558: A masterly manner, and redounds highly to the credit of Captain Ellis. ... Midgegooroo in his dungeon presents a most pitiable object. In the same issue, the Perth Gazette went on to invite citizens to 'forward the ends of justice' by coming forward with their evidence of Midgegooroo's wrongdoings, indicative of the close relationship between the early colonial media, the Government and the nascent system of justice. The Perth Gazette constitutes one of
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#17328478116021212-409: A native – launched into eternity – ought to have suppressed." The aftermath it appears from the extant record that, while there was a crowd in attendance at the execution, few if any Aboriginal people were present. The boy who was captured along with Midgegooroo, who was identified as his son 'Billy' (later referred to also as 'young Midgegooroo') was estimated to be between five and eight years old. He
1313-498: A retreat impossible, became desperate; Jeffers, a private of the 63rd ... rushed forward and seized him by the hair, Captain Ellis seized his spears and broke them in his hand, he still retained the barbed ends, with which he struck at Jeffers repeatedly; the alarm he created by crying out for Yagan, and the apprehensions of his escaping, required the exercise of the greatest firmness on the part of Captain Ellis to accomplish his being brought in alive. The capture of this man as effected in
1414-420: Is also severe, and has resulted in a high proportion of plants and animals being included in the categories of rare, threatened and endangered species. In modern times many Aboriginal men were employed intermittently as rabbiters, and rabbit became an important part of Noongar diet in the early 20th century. The Noongar territory also happens to conform closely with the south-west Indian Ocean Drainage Region, and
1515-625: Is now considered a Noongar hero, by many to have been one of the first indigenous resistance fighters. Matters escalated with conflicts between the settlement of Thomas Peel and the Pindjarup people, resulting in the Pinjarra massacre . Similarly, struggles with Ballardong people in the Avon Valley continued until violently suppressed by Lieutenant Henry William St Pierre Bunbury . Notwithstanding this violence, extraordinary acts of goodwill existed. In
1616-662: The 63rd Regiment of Foot , whose mission was to protect and help establish the colony. He arrived with his men on board HMS Sulphur in June 1829, six days after the arrival of the first settlers and Stirling on the Parmelia . Irwin's position as officer commanding the troops afforded him the further position of vice chairman of the Legislative Council appointed by Stirling in January 1831. From September 1832 until September 1833, Irwin
1717-605: The Peninsula War , for which he was awarded a medal. In 1816-17 he was stationed in Cape of Good Hope , and later in Ceylon . In 1828, the British government decided to establish a colony on the western coast of Australia , and a cousin of Irwin's, James Stirling , was appointed its first Lieutenant-Governor . Irwin was subsequently sent to the colony as a major in command of a detachment of
1818-603: The Swan River , together with its eastern and northern tributaries. Its hinterland extension runs to Mount Helena and a little beyond. It includes Kalamunda on the Darling Scarp and Armadale . It encompasses the Victoria Plains to the north, the area south of Toodyay and reaches eastwards as far as York and a little beyond. Its southern coastal frontier extends to the vicinity of Pinjarra . Their northern neighbours are
1919-602: The Yued , the Balardong people lay to their east, and the Pindjarup on their southern coastal flank. The Whadjuk formed part of the Noongar language group, with their own distinctive dialect. Culturally they were divided into two matrilineal moieties : Moieties were endogamous , and children took the moiety of their mother. Each moiety also contained two " sections " (or "skins"): in
2020-419: The south-west corner of Western Australia , from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast. There are 14 different groups in the Noongar cultural bloc: Amangu , Ballardong , Yued , Kaneang , Koreng , Mineng , Njakinjaki , Njunga , Pibelmen , Pindjarup , Wadandi , Whadjuk , Wiilman and Wudjari . The Noongar people refer to their land as Noongar boodja . The members of
2121-462: The 2011 Australian census, 10,549 people identified as indigenous in the south-west of Western Australia. By 2021, this number had increased to 14,355. The endonym of the Noongar comes from a word originally meaning "man" or "person". At the time of European settlement, it is believed that the peoples of what became the Noongar community spoke thirteen dialects, of which five still have speakers with some knowledge of their respective versions of
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#17328478116022222-593: The 2011 award for That Deadman Dance . Yirra Yaakin describes itself as the response to the Aboriginal community's need for positive self-enhancement through artistic expression. It is a theatre company that strives for community development and which also has the drive to create "exciting, authentic and culturally appropriate indigenous theatre". Many local governments in the southwest have developed "compacts" or "commitments" with their local Noongar communities to ensure that sites of significance are protected and that
2323-527: The Aboriginal people there, and pursued a group south, shooting and killing one man who was believed to be the brother of Midgegooroo and according to Moore, bringing his ears home 'as a token.' According to the Perth Gazette, throughout the period immediately after the proclamation, Midgegooroo remained near the property of the Drummonds on the Helena River 'employed as he usually had been of late in taking care of
2424-553: The Canning River, and expressed his despair at the prospects for a people in whom he felt 'a very great interest': 'These things are very dispiriting. I fear it must come to an act of extermination between us at last if we cannot graze our flocks in safety.' It was not until 11 July that the colonists succeeded in killing Yagan, his death at the hands of sixteen-year-old James Keats on the Upper Swan, who duly collected his reward and left
2525-495: The Civil Court. On Monday 20 May, Moore records a meeting with Irwin and hints that his personal view was that Midgegooroo should be transported but there was a strong public sentiment that he should be executed; 'there is a great puzzle to know what to do with him. The populace cry loudly for his blood, but it is a hard thing to shoot him in cold blood. There is a strong intention of sending him into perpetual banishment in some out of
2626-489: The Noongar are largely urbanised or concentrated in major regional towns, studies have shown that the direct economic impact of the Noongar community on the WA economy was estimated to range between five and seven hundred million dollars per year. Exit polls of tourists leaving Western Australia have consistently shown that "lack of contact with indigenous culture" has been their greatest regret. It has been estimated that this results in
2727-565: The Noongar but in many cases they are unable to receive appropriate government-agency care. The report that was produced after this gathering also stated that Noongar men have a life expectancy of 20 years less than non-Aboriginal men, and go to hospital three times more often. The Noongar still have large extended families and many families have difficulty accessing available structures of sheltered housing in Western Australia. The Western Australian government has dedicated several areas for
2828-668: The Noongar community constituted a united society which had continued to exist despite the disruption resulting from mixed marriage and people being forced off their land and dispersed to other areas as a result of white settlement and later Government policies. In April 2008 the Full Bench of the Federal Court upheld parts of the appeal by the Western Australian and Commonwealth governments against Justice Wilcox's judgment. Other native title claims on Noongar lands include: Since
2929-525: The Noongar language in the general curriculum have been made. In recent years there has been considerable interest in Noongar visual arts. In 2006, Noongar culture was showcased as part of the Perth International Arts Festival . A highlight of the Festival was the unveiling of the monumental "Ngallak Koort Boodja – Our Heart Land Canvas". The 8-metre (26 ft) canvas was commissioned for
3030-484: The Rottnest Island Deaths Group. The changes also removed rights of notification and appeal for traditional owners seeking to protect their heritage. A legal ruling on 1 April 2015 overturned the government's actions on some of the sites deregistered which were found to be truly sacred. Elders are increasingly asked on formal occasions to provide a " Welcome to Country ", and the first steps of teaching
3131-448: The Swan and Canning Rivers into four residence groups , each with its own territory: Several Europeans in particular contributed to modern understanding of Whadjuk Noongar language and culture. European settlers were initially called Djanga – a term referring to spirits of the dead – by the Whadjuk. This belief incorporated Europeans into the social structure of the Noongar peoples and
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3232-732: The Western Australian Youth Orchestra. The Noongar people occupied and maintained the Mediterranean climate lands of the south-west ecoregion of Western Australia, and made sustainable use of seven biogeographic regions of their territory, namely: These seven regions have been acknowledged as a biodiversity hot-spot, having a generally greater number of endemic species than most other regions in Australia. The ecological damage done to this region through clearing, introduced species, by feral animals and non-endemic plants
3333-405: The age of the prisoner in question apparently exceeding fifty years, forbad any sanguine hopes from such an experiment in his case." There was no trial, even in the sense of an informal hearing. Midgegooroo was clearly not allowed the opportunity to give evidence or defend himself and indeed it is probable that he did not understand what was being alleged. By 22 May, Irwin had made up his mind: "With
3434-620: The army in 1854 and returned to England in 1856, where he died in Cheltenham in 1860. In 1839 the explorer George Grey named the Irwin River after him while on his second disastrous exploration expedition along the Western Australian coast. In 1948 the Irwin Army Barracks in Karrakatta were named after him, in recognition of his place in Western Australia's military history. In 1991
3535-457: The bush, or digging vegetables on what had been their own land. It quickly became a "place of torment, deprivation and death", and it has been estimated that there may be as many as 369 Aboriginal graves on the island, of which five were for prisoners who had been hanged. Except for a short period between 1849 and 1855, during which the prison was closed, some 3,700 Aboriginal men and boys, many of them Noongars, but also many others from all parts of
3636-407: The capture 'dead or alive' of Yagan, and 20 pounds of 'Midgigooroo' and Munday. The proclamation declared Yagan, Midgegooroo and Munday to be outlaws 'deprived of the protection of British laws, and I do hereby authorise and command all and every His Majesty's subjects residents in any part of this colony to capture, or aid or assist in capturing the body of the said 'Egan' DEAD OR ALIVE, and to produce
3737-566: The case of the Manitjmat , these were Didarruk and Tondarup and for the Wardungmat , they were Nagarnook and Ballarruk . The Whadjuk also preserved many stories of the Wagyl , a water- python held to be responsible for most of the water features around Perth. This may have been a cultural memory of an extinct Madtsoiidae python-like serpent, a water dwelling ambush predator, part of
3838-700: The city at night. Frederick Irwin Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Chidley Irwin , KH (22 March 1794 – 31 March 1860) was acting Governor of Western Australia from 1847 to 1848. Born in 1794 in Drogheda , Ireland , Frederick Chidley Irwin was the son of Reverend James Irwin. Some sources give the year 1788 as his birthyear. In 1808, he was commissioned into the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot . He saw service in Spain and Portugal , and took part in several major battles of
3939-482: The coast as interior seasonal lakes dried up. The Whadjuk, like many Noongar people, divided the year into six seasons. These seasons were roughly divided (rather than by specific date) and Whadjuk took account of environmental signals such as the spring call of the motorbike frog , in marking seasons. For example, the onset of Kambarang, or the flowering of the Western Australian Christmas tree showing
4040-429: The coastal plains, the plateau, and the plateau margins; all areas are characterized by relatively infertile soil. The north is characterized by casuarina, acacia, and melaleuca thickets, and the south by mulga scrubland, but it also supports dense forest stands. Several rivers run to the coast, and lakes and wetlands provided the Noongar people with their distinctive food and vegetation resources. Generally, Noongar made
4141-542: The collective Noongar cultural bloc descend from people who spoke several languages and dialects that were often mutually intelligible . What is now classified as the Noongar language is a member of the large Pama–Nyungan language family. Contemporary Noongar speak Australian Aboriginal English (a dialect of the English language) laced with Noongar words and occasionally inflected by its grammar. Most contemporary Noongar trace their ancestry to one or more of these groups. In
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4242-532: The colony, resulting in the arrival of the colony's first missionary, Louis Giustiniani , in 1836. He married his wife Elizabeth Courthope, sister of auditor-general of Western Australia in December 1836. In 1837, having been promoted to Major, he returned to Western Australia, and was made permanent Commandant of the Western Australian Forces . He was further promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1845. On
4343-406: The colony. The Perth Gazette recorded its satisfaction at the deaths and believed that most of the citizenry supported the ruthless actions of the Government. Midgegooroo's execution, it claimed, met with 'general satisfaction ... his name has long rung in our ears, associated with every enormity committed by the natives; we therefore join cordially in commending this prompt and decisive measure.' On
4444-479: The conduct of those tribes become.' In September 1833, after more than four years in Western Australia, Irwin returned to England , partly to give an account to the Colonial Office of the events that had occurred in the colony while it was under his charge. While there, he published The State and Position of Western Australia , the first published account of the colony. He also sought religious assistance for
4545-463: The constitution in 1896. As of 2016, Aboriginal people number 3% of the state's population, but number 50% of the women in Bandyup Women's Prison and of youth in detention in Western Australia. Many are imprisoned for the non-payment of fines incurred for minor offences. The number of Noongar youth in incarceration exceeds the number in school or formal training. Daisy Bates claimed she interviewed
4646-562: The culture is respected. At the same time, the Western Australian Barnett government, also from November 2014, had been forcing the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee to deregister 300 Aboriginal sacred sites in Western Australia. Although falling most heavily upon Pilbara and Kimberley sites this government policy also was having an impact on Noongar lands according to Ira Hayward-Jackson, Chairman of
4747-501: The death of Governor Andrew Clarke in February 1847, Irwin took office as acting Governor until the arrival of the new governor, Charles Fitzgerald , in August 1848. His administration was extremely unpopular with the settlers of Western Australia, due to both the poor financial state of the colony and his stern character, and the arrival of Fitzgerald was widely celebrated. Irwin retired from
4848-483: The death warrant had been handed over to the Civil Authorities, did not occupy half an hour." Irwin reported simply: 'He was accordingly shot, in front of the jail at Perth on the 22 Ultimo.' Moore also recorded the execution although it is not clear whether he was a witness: 'The native Midgegoroo, after being fully identified as being a principal in 3 murders at least, was fastened to the gaol door & fired on by
4949-770: The declining birth rates , these factors led to a collapsing population in those areas nearby European settlement. In addition to white killings and massacres in Fremantle and elsewhere, the arrival of Europeans saw many deaths from diseases to which Aboriginal people had no resistance. These were interpreted as sorcery within traditional culture and led to "pay-back" vendettas , which increased mortality of those in closest contact with Europeans. Noongar The Noongar ( / ˈ n ʊ ŋ ɑːr / , also spelt Noongah , Nyungar / ˈ n j ʊ ŋ ɑːr / , Nyoongar , Nyoongah , Nyungah , Nyugah , and Yunga / ˈ j ʊ ŋ ɑː / ) are Aboriginal Australian people who live in
5050-426: The extinct megafauna of Australia that disappeared between 40,000 and 20,000 years ago. Coastal dwelling Whadjuk have an oral tradition describing the separation of Rottnest from the mainland, which occurred between 12,000 and 8,000 BCE , technically a post-glacial Flandrian transgression . Like other Noongar peoples, the Whadjuk seem to have moved more inland in the wetter weather of winter, returning to
5151-498: The festival by representatives of the united elders and families from across the Noongar nation. It was painted by leading Noongar artists Shane Pickett , Tjyllyungoo , Yvonne Kickett, Alice Warrell and Sharyn Egan . October 2021 saw the opening of the first Noongar opera Koolbardi wer Wardong . Written by Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse, the opera was performed at His Majesty's Theatre by members of West Australian Opera , West Australian Young Voices, Noongar Children's Choir and
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#17328478116025252-471: The granting of self-government to Western Australia, specifically excluded provision for Aboriginal Affairs, which remained vested in the British crown. The state's constitution also stated that 1% of government expenditures had to be for the benefit of Aboriginal people, a condition that has never been met. The Premier John Forrest unilaterally took control in Aboriginal Affairs, without an amendment to
5353-657: The home of up to one-third of the population. It is estimated that 10 to 25% of Noongar children were forcibly "adopted" during these years, in part of what has become known as the Stolen Generations . Noongar people live in many country towns throughout the south-west as well as in the major population centres of Perth , Mandurah , Bunbury , Geraldton , Albany and Esperance . Many country Noongar people have developed long-standing relationships with non-Noongar farmers and continue to hunt kangaroo and gather bush tucker (food) as well as teach their children stories about
5454-515: The island, the Colonial Secretary announced in June 1839 that the island would become a penal establishment for Aboriginal people and was officially designated as such in 1841. From that time until 1903, when the indigenous section was closed, Rottnest Island was used as a prison to transfer Aboriginal prisoners "overseas". To "pacify" the Aboriginal population, men were rounded up and chained for offences ranging from spearing livestock, burning
5555-595: The kodj. In Perth, the Noongar believe that the Darling Scarp is said to represent the body of a Wagyl , a snakelike Dreamtime creature that is a common deity in Noongar culture, that meandered over the land creating rivers, waterways, and lakes. It is thought that the Wagyl created the Swan River . The Wagyl has been associated with Wonambi naracoutensis , part of the extinct megafauna of Australia that disappeared between 15 and 50,000 years ago. Also in Perth, Mount Eliza
5656-515: The land. In a few areas in the south-west, visitors can go on bush tucker walks, trying foods such as kangaroo , emu , quandong jam or relish, bush tomatoes , witchetty grub pâté and bush honey. The buka is a traditional cloak of the Noongar people made of kangaroo skin. The kodj ( "to be hit on the head" ) or kodja is a Noongar hafted axe . Kojonup, Western Australia and The Kodja Place visitor centre, in Kojonup, are named after
5757-415: The lands seized for settlement in 1843, Yellagonga was reduced to begging for survival, and shortly thereafter he accidentally drowned. The situation for Midgegooroo was even more precarious. Violence flared when it was said 200 "savages" were going to attack the ferry from Fremantle, and citizens armed themselves and rushed to the site to find nothing but a bemused ferryman. A Tasmanian settler shot one of
5858-428: The language. No speakers use it over the complete range of everyday speaking situations, and the full resources of the language are available only to a few individuals. The Noongar peoples have six seasons whose time frame is defined by specific observable changes to the environment, with a dry period varying from as few as three to as many as eleven months. Tribes are spread over three different geological systems:
5959-469: The last fully initiated Whadjuk Noongar people in 1907, reporting on informants Fanny Balbel and Joobaitj, who had preserved in oral tradition the Aboriginal viewpoints of the coming of the Europeans. Fanny had been born on the Aboriginal sacred site that underlies St George's Cathedral , while Joobaitj's sacred lands were near the current youth hostel at Mundaring Weir . The Whadjuk people were divided by
6060-438: The lives of no other than the three outlaws, unless hostility on the part of others of the tribe should render it necessary in self defense. I am happy to say these measures have already been attended with considerable effect. The whole of this hostile tribe have been harassed by the constant succession of parties sent against them, and in some instances have been hotly pursued to a considerable distance in different directions. By
6161-408: The local Aboriginal men and Yagan, Midgegooroo's son and Yellagonga's nephew, speared a white in revenge. Yagan was arrested and sent to Carnac Island in the care of Robert Lyon who claimed he was a freedom fighter . Yagan escaped from the island in a boat, and waged a guerrilla campaign on both sides of the river. He was eventually killed by one of two European boys he had befriended and his head
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#17328478116026262-411: The location of the former Swan Brewery which has been a source of contention between local Noongar groups (who would like to see the land, which was reclaimed from the river in the late 19th century, "restored" to them) and the title-holders who wished to develop the site. A Noongar protest camp existed here for several years in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Noongar culture is particularly strong with
6363-529: The loss of many millions of dollars worth of foregone tourist revenue. As a consequence of the Stolen Generations and problems integrating with modern westernised society, many difficult issues face the present day Noongar. For example, the Noongar Men of the SouthWest gathering in 1996 identified major community problems associated with cultural dispossession such as: Many of these issues are not unique to
6464-461: The making of spears. The Whadjuk people bore the brunt of the European colonisation, as the cities of Perth and Fremantle were built in their territory. No doubt Whadjuk people had been familiar with Dutch explorers like Vlamingh , and the occasional visit of whalers to the coast, before the arrival of settlers under the command of Governor James Stirling . After a near disaster at Garden Island ,
6565-481: The onset of Bunuru. Whadjuk used high quality red ochre in ceremonies, which they obtained from the site now occupied by Perth Railway Station and which they traded with people to the east. By repute it was traded as far as Uluru . Prior to the colonisation it was used to colour hair, which was worn long (in a style similar to dreadlocks ). Quartz from the Darling Scarp was also traded with Balardong groups for
6666-445: The other hand, it is clear that a number of colonists were unhappy with the actions of the government. Robert Lyon, who published his account of the period in 1839 after he had left the colony, wrote that while the killing of Midgegooroo and Yagan was 'applauded by a certain class', they were 'far from being universally approved. Many were silent, but some of the most respectable of the settlers loudly expressed their disapprobation.' There
6767-585: The outcome of this appeal process. In the interim, the Noongar people together will continue to be involved in native title negotiations with the Government of Western Australia , and are represented by the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council . Justice Wilcox's judgment is noteworthy for several reasons. It highlights Perth's wealth of post-European settlement writings which provide an insight into Aboriginal life, including laws and customs, around
6868-486: The principle records of the events over the next few days, and it is difficult to be definite about the chronological sequence between Midgegooroo's capture on 17 May and execution on the 22nd. It appears likely that Irwin spent the period weighing up his alternatives, consulting with the Executive Council as well as men such as G.F. Moore who, as well as being a private colonist, held the official post of Commissioner of
6969-404: The prisoner as the same man. Irwin reported that he gave 'much anxious consideration' to Midgegooroo's punishment: "The experiment of confinement, which had been tried to some extent in the case of the three Natives whose transportation to Carnac Island and ultimate escape I have reported to your Lordship in a former dispatch appeared to have produced no good effect on the subjects of that trial, and
7070-632: The purpose of building communities specifically for the Noongar people, such as the (now closed) Swan Valley Noongar Community . The Noongar themselves are tackling their own issues; for example, the Noongar Patrol, which is an Aboriginal Advancement Council initiative. It was set up to deter Aboriginal young people from offending behaviour and reduce the likelihood of their contact with the criminal justice system. The patrol uses mediation and negotiation with indigenous youth in an attempt to curb anti-social and offending behaviour of young people who come into
7171-669: The remaining Whadjuk people was established near Lake Gnangara , one of a whole series of wetlands which may have, within the memory of Aboriginal people here, been a series of caves along an underground river whose roof fell in. This reserve was re-established in 1975. In addition to the "feeding station" at Mount Eliza, under the control of Francis Armstrong, first "Protector of Aborigines". Hutt also tried to establish an Aboriginal yeomanry by giving Aboriginal "settlers" grants of government land. The lands chosen for this venture were marginal and Aboriginal people were expected to make improvements without giving them access to needed bank finance, so
7272-562: The said body forthwith before the nearest Justice of the Peace.' Frederick Irwin rationalized his actions to the Secretary of State in the following terms: This pecuniary stimulus has had the hoped for effect, by bringing forward some efficient volunteers among the Settlers whose ----- and occupations have necessarily given them a more intimate knowledge of the haunts of the natives in the neighbourhood of
7373-514: The same year, 1834, the Swan River Noongar couple, Migo and Molly Dobbin, alerted to the fact a European child had gone missing, covered 35 kilometres (22 mi) in 10 hours tracking his spoors , and saved him, at the point of death. From August 1838, ten Aboriginal prisoners were sent to Rottnest Island ( Nyungar : Wadjemup , possibly meaning "place across the water" ). After a short period when both settlers and prisoners occupied
7474-472: The scheme quickly collapsed. Aboriginal campsites were temporarily established at many metropolitan locations including Ellenbrook , Jolimont , Welshpool and Allawah Grove. These sites however were frequently moved at the discretion of European authorities once an alternative use was found for the land (as happened at Karrakatta Cemetery , the Swanbourne Rifle Range and Perth Airport ). In 1893
7575-515: The search for Midgegooroo, Yagan and Munday proceeded quickly as the military and private settlers combed the region. One volunteer party led by a colonist named Thomas Hunt (according to G.F. Moore, 'a most appropriate name' who had previously been a constable in London) headed south 'in the direction of the Murray' and came across a number of 'native huts' not far from the south shore of the Swan. They 'routed'
7676-481: The settled district than is possessed by the Military, but no volunteers have received permission to act unless headed by a Magistrate or a Constable. Parties of the Military have also been in constant movement, traversing the bush is such directions as reports or conjecture rendered most likely to lead to a discovery of the lurking place of the offending tribes. These parties have all received express instructions to attempt
7777-604: The state, were imprisoned. A notable incident for the Noongar people in the Western Australian Colony was the arrival of Rosendo Salvado in 1846. Salvado was an advocate for the humane treatment of the Australian Aboriginals at the mission he created at New Norcia , in the territory of the Yued . He provided refuge for the Njunga and he defended many on charges of theft, arguing from church doctrine that theft
7878-475: The success of his three-week sojourn as due in good part to Noongar diplomacy, and Noongar rituals celebrated their reception of the newcomers in a ceremonial form. When settlement became more firmly established, however, misunderstandings over the obligations of reciprocity—some of the most productive land was being taken, especially on the Upper Swan—led to sporadic clashes. An example of such misunderstandings
7979-468: The time Irwin's dispatch had been received in London, Midgegooroo had been captured and executed. Despite his efforts to convince his superiors that his actions were justified, Irwin was criticised by the Secretary of State, who would have preferred a sentence of imprisonment, believing that execution would do little to improve relationships between the traditional owners and the colonists. But as Irwin intended,
8080-434: The time of settlement in 1829 and also into the beginning of the last century. These documents enabled Justice Wilcox to find that laws and customs governing land throughout the whole Single Noongar Claim (taking in Perth, and many other towns in the greater South West) were those of a single community. The claimants shared a language and had extensive interaction with others in the claim area. Importantly, Justice Wilcox found
8181-456: The tiny settlement at Mandurah for almost half a decade. In June 1832, a Whadjuk leader, Yagan , formerly of good standing among the settler authorities and known in the colony for his handsome bearing, "tall, slender, well-fashioned..of pleasing countenance", was, together with his father Midgegooroo and brother Monday, declared an outlaw after undertaking a series of food raids and a retaliatory murder. Caught and imprisoned, he escaped and
8282-553: The truth from Yagan, whereupon Yagan told him that if Midgegooroo's life was taken, he would retaliate by killing three white men. Six days later, it appears that news of the killing had still not penetrated the Noongar community for, when Moore was visited on 2 June by Weeip , Yagan's son Narral, and some women, they asked him again about Midgegooroo and his young son. Moore again concealed the execution but assured them that his son 'would come back again by & bye.' Two days later, Moore recorded that thefts of sheep and goats continued on
8383-511: The unanimous advice of the Council, I therefore decided on his execution as the only sure mode of securing the Colony from an enemy, who was doubly dangerous from his apparently implacable hostility and from his influence as an acknowledged Chief. The latter circumstance being also calculated to render his death a more striking example." The Perth Gazette recorded the execution as follows: "In the absence of
8484-455: The use of these water resources played a very important seasonal part in their culture. The Noongar thus have a close connection with the earth and, as a consequence, they divided the year into six distinct seasons that corresponded with moving to different habitats and feeding patterns based on seasonal foods. They are: On 19 September 2006 the Federal Court of Australia brought down
8585-423: The way place.' Irwin told the Secretary of State he had conducted a 'patient examination' and had received statements from 'several credible witnesses', twelve-year-old Ralph Entwhistle, John Staunton of the 63rd Regiment of Foot, Charles Bourne, constable Thomas Hunt, James Lacey, Thomas Yule (sworn before Magistrates at Fremantle) and John Ellis. Each gave brief details of Midgegooroo's alleged crimes, and identified
8686-408: The women and children of the tribe' and clearly unaware of his outlaw status and his impending doom. On Thursday 16 May, a military party led by Captain Ellis, acting on information that Midgegooroo was in the area, joined forces with a number of civilians, including Thomas Hardey and J. Hancock. After camping overnight, the next morning they came across Midgegooroo and his young son: The old man finding
8787-605: The written word. The plays of Jack Davis are on the school syllabus in several Australian states. Davis' first full-length play Kullark , a documentary on the history of Aboriginals in WA, was first produced in 1979. Other plays include: No Sugar, The Dreamers, Barungin: Smell the Wind, In Our Town and for younger audiences, Honey Spot and Moorli and the Leprechaun . Kim Scott won the 2000 Miles Franklin Award for his novel Benang and
8888-399: Was an important site for the Noongar. It was a hunting site where kangaroos were herded and driven over the edge to provide meat for gathering clans. In this context, the "clan" is a local descent group – larger than a family but based on family links through common ancestry. At the base of Mount Eliza is a sacred site where the Wagyl is said to have rested during its journeys. This site is also
8989-509: Was convinced that his actions were merited. Writing in England about two years after the events of 1833, he asserted that 'these acts of justice so completely succeeded in their object of intimidating the natives on the Swan and Canning Rivers that recent accounts from the colony represent the shepherds and others in the habit of going about the country, as having for a considerable laid aside their usual precaution of carrying firearms, so peaceable had
9090-413: Was criticism also from other Australian colonies about the execution of Midgegooroo. The Hobart Town Review of 20 August 1833 was full of vitriol for Irwin's actions: "It is hard to conceive any offence on the part of the poor unfortunate wretch that could justify the putting him to death, even in the open field, but to slay him in cool blood to us appears a cruel murder without palliation." Irwin, however,
9191-421: Was let alone, as though informally reprieved as a native version of William Wallace . His father was caught and killed without trial by a military firing squad. Yagan himself, with a bounty on his head, was ambushed soon afterwards by an 18-year-old settler youth, after he had stopped two settlers and asked for flour. His corpse was decapitated, and the head was sent to England for display in fairgrounds. Yagan
9292-420: Was never very successful and was greatly underfunded. Relations between the settlers and the Noongar people had deteriorated badly in the final years of Stirling's reign, with settlers shooting at Aboriginal people indiscriminately for the spearing of stock, leading to payback killings of settlers. Stirling's response was to attempt to subdue the Aboriginal people through harsh punishment. When Stirling retired he
9393-582: Was not criminal if dictated by dire necessity. While intent on converting, he encouraged the Noongars to maintain their traditional culture. From 1890 to 1958, the lives and lifestyles of Noongar people were subject to the Native Welfare Act. By 1915, 15% of Perth's Noongar had been thrust north and interned at the Moore River Native Settlement . Carrolup (later known as Marribank ) became
9494-625: Was pinioned and blindfolded, and bound to the outer door of the Jail. The Resident then reported to his Honor the Lieutenant Governor (who was on the spot accompanied by the Members of the Council), that all was prepared, – the warrant being declared final – he turned around and gave the signal to the party of the 63rd [which had volunteered] to advance and halt at 6 paces, – they then fired – and Midgegooroo fell. – The whole arrangement and execution after
9595-422: Was reinforced by several factors. To the Whadjuk, the settlers resembled dead people because they: Work by Neville Green in his book Broken Spears has shown how Aboriginal culture could not explain the high death rates associated with European infections, and believed that Aboriginal sorcery was involved, leading to rising numbers of reprisal spearing and killings within the Aboriginal community. Coupled with
9696-632: Was removed 'out of sound and hearing of what was to happen to his father and has since been forwarded to the Government Schooner, Ellen, now lying off Garden Island, with particular instructions from the Magistrates to ensure him every protection and kind treatment.' Irwin informed the Secretary of State that 'the child has been kept in ignorance of his father's fate, and it is my present intention to retain him in confinement, and by kind treatment I am in hope from his tender age he may be so inured to civilized habits as to make it improbable he will revert to
9797-414: Was replaced as Governor by John Hutt, 1 January 1839, who rather than adopting Stirling's vindictive vengeful policies against "Aborigines", tried protecting their rights and educating them. This ran foul of frontier settlers intent on seizing Aboriginal lands without compensation , who felt they needed strong-arm tactics to protect themselves from Aboriginal "reprisals". In 1887 an Aboriginal reserve for
9898-400: Was smoked and sent to England, finally being recovered and returned home by Ken Colbung in 1997. Following the Pinjarra massacre , Whadjuk Aboriginal people became totally dispirited, and were reduced to dependent status, settling at their site at Mount Eliza for handouts under the authority of Francis Armstrong . An Anglican school was established for a number of years at Ellenbrook, but
9999-585: Was temporarily appointed to act as administrator of the colony while Stirling was in England. During Irwin's period in charge the colony experienced difficulty in its relations with the Aboriginal people , and both colonists and Aboriginals were killed in different encounters such as the Pinjarra Massacre . After the killing of several settlers Irwin placed a bounty on the heads of the most aggressive Noongar warriors, including Yagan and Midgegooroo . This
10100-498: Was the Noongar land-management practice of setting fires in early summer, mistakenly seen as an act of hostility by the settlers. Conversely, the Noongar saw the settlers' livestock as fair game to replace the dwindling stocks of native animals shot indiscriminately by settlers. The only area that successfully resisted the usurpation of native land for any time was the area around the Murray River , which effectively blocked expansion of
10201-468: Was to be among the most controversial of Irwin's initiatives during his tenure in the Swan River Colony. According to his account, immediately after a series of skirmishes Irwin conferred with his Executive Council 'to take such steps for a prompt and summary retaliation, as the means at my disposal admitted.' A proclamation was issued and published in the Perth Gazette offering a reward of 30 pounds for
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