WA Aboriginal Journey Ways

Before, and for some time after the 1967 referendum Aboriginal people were subjected to law and social policy that controlled every aspect of their lives. They were excluded from all the supports (hospitals and public housing) and payments (wages, pensions, dole, child benefit) given to non-Aboriginal people. They were subjected to curfews and condemned to absolute poverty. Many lived in ancient camping grounds or reserved lands until they were cleared out. Frequently police and Welfare Officers would raid the camps to steal children who would be taken to settlements. 

Cook, D., 'That Was My Home: Voices from the Noongar Camps in Fremantle and the Western Suburbs’,  UWA Press, 2019.

Some material condensed from Denise Cook’s PhD (Murdoch University, 2018) now available in a book ‘That Was My Home: Voices from the Noongar Camps in Fremantle and the Western Suburbs’, Denise Cook, UWA Press, 2019. Other material as referenced. Permissions provided for TLCMap. Do not re-use without permission.

This layer contains historical information about Aboriginal people that may be distressing.

From 35,000 years ago onwards, Earth was moving into one of the most severe glaciations with temperatures dropping to 6 to 10 degrees below current temperatures. By 22,000 years ago the glaciers were thickest with ice sheets covering most continents. Sea levels were at their lowest dropping to approximately 150 to 400 metres below current levels. Old water ecosystems disappeared and arid areas expanded. Australian glaciers did not extend into Western Australia however the countryside suffered an extreme drought of 10,000 years that lasted between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago. Archaeologists suggest that Aboriginal people survived the drought by clustering in refuges where there was permanent water and by visiting other refuges when the climate permitted. In Western Australia refuges were Nyoongar territory, the Pilbara tablelands and the Kimberley.  

Robertson, F., Nannup, N. and Barrow J. 'Great Journeys undertaken by Aboriginal people in ancient times in Western Australia', Batchelor Press, 2019.

Permissions from Francesca Robertson, Noel Nannup and Jason Barrow for use of material from 'Great Journeys undertaken by Aboriginal People in Western Australia in Ancient times’.  Permission for use of the story provided by Wayne Webb for the Great Journeys book and other iterations of same for TLCMap. Do not re-use without permission.

From 35,000 years ago onwards, Earth was moving into one of the most severe glaciations with temperatures dropping to 6 to 10 degrees below current temperatures. By 22,000 years ago the glaciers were 33thickest with ice sheets covering most continents. Sea levels were at their lowest dropping to approximately 150 to 400 metres below current levels. Old water ecosystems disappeared and arid areas expanded. Australian glaciers did not extend into Western Australia however the countryside suffered an extreme drought of 10,000 years that lasted between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago. Archaeologists suggest that Aboriginal people survived the drought by clustering in refuges where there was permanent water and by visiting other refuges when the climate permitted. In Western Australia refuges were Nyoongar territory, the Pilbara tablelands and the Kimberley. This journey was made from eastern Nyoongar land to the southern Kimberley region following the salt lakes. 

Robertson, F., Nannup, N. and Barrow J. 'Great Journeys undertaken by Aboriginal people in ancient times in Western Australia', Batchelor Press, 2019.

Permissions from Francesca Robertson, Noel Nannup and Jason Barrow for use of material from’ Great Journeys undertaken by Aboriginal People in Western Australia in Ancient times’ (Robertson, Nannup and Barrow, Batchelor Press 2019).  Permission for use of the story provided by Wayne Webb for the Great Journeys book for TLC Map. Do not use without permission.

Told and provided by Elder Carol Petterson. When a pastoral lease was granted the Aboriginal people associated with the area were regarded as the property of the pastoralist. They were ‘signed up’ to ensure sufficient labour for the busy shearing season. They weren’t paid. During the slack months the workers were sent into the bush to fend for themselves and if they didn’t return, they were considered to be absconders and a warrant could be issued for their arrest (under the Masters and Servants Act, British legislation from 1842). Absconding from an employer was a common charge often resulting in the three months in prison. It is unlikely the men who were arrested had any idea why they had been arrested. It is likely that some pastoralists used the Act to get the Nyoongar men out of the way so they could access the women. 

Permissions provided for TLCMap. Do not re-use without permission.

This layer contains historical information about Aboriginal people that may be distressing. It contains names of people who have also passed away.

Jandamarra and his group lead a heroic resistance during the Killing Time in the Kimberley. 

Pederson, H. & Woorunmurra, B., 'Jandamarra and the Bunubu Resistance’, Magabala Books, 2011.

Some material condensed from 'Jandamarra and the Bunubu Resistance’, 2011. Permissions provided for TLCMap. Do not re-use without permission.

This layer contains historical information about Aboriginal people that may be distressing. It contains names of people who have also passed away.

A songline is a story associated with a journey made by a Spiritual ancestor. During this journey landscape and landmarks were formed, relationships were observed and established, mistakes made, lessons learnt, skills developed and the values of the community established. Songlines are still walked and sung and as such are living narratives. Jindalee (she has different names in other places) is s Spirit Woman from the Koondarn (dreamtime). She is present as the world emerges from The Nyitiny (cold, dark time). The trees had taken root on the earth and the spirit ancestors of animals were finding homes in the new landscape. When Jindalee first made her journey the coastline was approximately 200m west of the current coastline so some of her footprints  are now underwater. Where she walked her footprints created hollows that collected water and became oasis for flora and fauna and later for people. 

Nannup, Karda Noel, 'Moondang-Ak Kaaradjiny', Batchelor Press, 2006. 

Permissions provided for by Noel Nannup for TLC Map. Do not re-use without permission. An illustrated version of the story can be found at: Nannup Karda Noel, “Moondang-Ak Kaaradjiny”, Batchelor Press, Australia, 2006. 

Mandja koorliny bidi (walking to a meeting place) are movements made by larger groups of people as they made their way to traditional gathering places for trading, lore, ceremony and festival. Birak (December-January) is the season of young people. 

Hill, A. L. 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia', Ph.D. Thesis, Murdoch University, 2013.

Material condensed from A.L Hill's Ph.D. Thesis, 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia (Murdoch University). Permissions provided for TLC Map. Do not re-use without permission.

Mandja koorliny bidi (walking to a meeting place) are movements made by larger groups of people as they made their way to traditional gathering places for trading, lore, ceremony and festival. Bunuru (February -March) is the season of adolescence. 

Hill, A. L. 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia', Ph.D. Thesis, Murdoch University, 2013.

Material condensed from A.L Hill's Ph.D. Thesis, 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia (Murdoch University). Permissions provided for TLC Map. Do not re-use without permission.

Mandja koorliny bidi (walking to a meeting place) are movements made by larger groups of people as they made their way to traditional gathering places for trading, lore, ceremony and festival. Djeran (April-May) is the season of adulthood. 

Hill, A. L. 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia', Ph.D. Thesis, Murdoch University, 2013.

Material condensed from A.L Hill's Ph.D. Thesis, 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia (Murdoch University). Permissions provided for TLC Map. Do not re-use without permission.

Mandja koorliny bidi (walking to a meeting place) are movements made by larger groups of people as they made their way to traditional gathering places for trading, lore, ceremony and festival. Djilba (August-September) is the season of conception. 

Hill, A. L. 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia', Ph.D. Thesis, Murdoch University, 2013.

Material condensed from A.L Hill's Ph.D. Thesis, 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia (Murdoch University). Permissions provided for TLC Map. Do not re-use without permission.

Mandja koorliny bidi (walking to a meeting place) are movements made by larger groups of people as they made their way to traditional gathering places for trading, lore, ceremony and festival. Kambarang (October-November) is the season of birth. 

Hill, A. L. 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia', Ph.D. Thesis, Murdoch University, 2013.

Material condensed from A.L Hill's Ph.D. Thesis, 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia (Murdoch University). Permissions provided for TLC Map. Do not re-use without permission.

Mandja koorliny bidi (walking to a meeting place) are movements made by larger groups of people as they made their way to traditional gathering places for trading, lore, ceremony and festival. Makuru (June-July) is the season of fertility. 

Hill, A. L. 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia', Ph.D. Thesis, Murdoch University, 2013.

Material condensed from A.L Hill's Ph.D. Thesis, 'Sharing Sweet Water: Culture and the Wise Use of Wetlands in Western Australia (Murdoch University). Permissions provided for TLC Map. Do not re-use without permission.

'Mungalimanha' is a Wajarri word meaning to go from darkness into light or to find a brighter future. In this context to go from the darkness of life at Moore River Settlement (Mogumber) and New Norcia orphanage into the brighter future of life in Geraldton.  

Provided by Rose Davis, Robbie Ronan and Joan Grey provided consent for use in the Western Australian Aboriginal Journey Ways Project and TLC Maps. do not use without permission.

This layer contains historical information about Aboriginal people that may be distressing. It also contains names of people who have passed away.

There are stories are about the formation of the modern coastline from around Australia. In Western Australia they typically describe a fight between freshwater and saltwater totems which results in the reshaping of the coastline. They were almost certainly constructed as narratives to remember the change in sea levels brought by the Holocene warming between 15,000 and 8,000 years ago.  This story tells not only of the harbour forming but also of the hills behind Albany becoming integrated into their lives as they moved there to be safe from the rising waters. 

Told by and permission provided by Carol Pettersen for TLCMap. Do not re-use without permission.