Aboriginal voices
As you travel through the South West, the names of places and geographical features reflect both the Aboriginal presence and colonial and settler history, and provide an important underlay to the stories that emerge in several of the collections.
The National Trust property Ellensbrook near Margaret River is now referred to as Ellensbrook at Mokidup to include the Wadandi name for place in which it sits. Over recent years the National Trust of Western Australia and the Wadandi Traditional Owners have worked together to create an enriched experience for visitors in which the Aboriginal stories and colonial stories are intertwined. The spring-fed stream, which provided a source of fresh water throughout the year, is known as Meekadariby by the Wadandi people. It was named Ellen’s Brook by Alfred Bussell when he built his farm alongside this valuable watersource in 1857. Now, the layered histories of this place are shared through words, artworks and images in the landscape and the house.
The early European settlement at Bridgetown was called ‘Geegelup’, taken from the Pibulmun/Wadandi people’s term for the freshwater crustaceans (now known as gilgies) in the local brook. The Aboriginal name faded from view once the town was proclaimed Bridgetown in 1868. The Aboriginal history has, of course, always been there, and has been given renewed prominence through recent efforts by the Bridgetown Historical Society. Realising that the voice of Aboriginal people was largely absent from the museum displays in the old Police Station and Lock-up, the Historical Society consulted with local Elders to develop the current displays.
Roelands Village, at the end of Seven Hills Road in Ferguson Valley, provides an experience of being immersed in history with a contemporary vision. The Village was the Roelands Native Mission from 1939 to 1975. In the Village’s Function Centre you can view photographs which give a glimpse into the lives of some of the 500 children who lived here over the decades. Some of the buildings are now available for short-stay accommodation. The property is leased and managed by Woolkabunning Kiaka Aboriginal Corporation, which means ‘We’ve been there, left and returned to Seven Hills’.
Other collections hold significant objects which carry important Aboriginal stories. The Augusta Historical Museum has the bronze medal given to Sam Issacs for his heroism in the rescue of survivors from the SS Georgette in 1878. The Museum of the Great Southern, Albany, presents objects and stories from the Menang Noongar people in its permanent display in the Residency Building. Take a moment when you enter this building, to listen to an Aboriginal Elder’s greeting and introduction to this site.
As you visit museums and collections, listen and look out for the Aboriginal voices. As more communities engage with the stories of Aboriginal people, more local museums will reflect these stories and knowledge, redressing some of the imbalances of the past..
