Wadjemup Aboriginal burial ground conservation project
Before the sea rose some 6,500 years ago, Wadjemup, also known as Rottnest Island, was joined to the mainland. The oral history of the Whadjuk Nyoongar people documents their ancestors walking to Wadjemup to perform ceremony and look after Country. Wadjemup has long been an important place for the Noongar people and we recommend you view ‘Always Wadjemup’ a fascinating online exhibition, to further your understanding of Aboriginal culture and history of Wadjemup.
Rottnest Island was used as an Aboriginal prison between 1838 and 1903, closing its doors in 1904. It is recorded that over 370 Aboriginal men and boys imprisoned during this period, died on Rottnest Island and are buried at the site known as the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground. This is the largest known deaths in custody gravesite in Australia and is extremely sacred for Aboriginal people as it contains the remains of Aboriginal Elders, Law Men and Warriors from almost every Aboriginal Language Group in Western Australia. The conservation & acknowledgement of the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground is an important step in aiding in the healing process for Western Australian Aboriginal people and delivering a significant commitment to reconciliation from the State.
The Rottnest Foundation raised $500,440 to contribute to the conservation of the burial ground site.
The Rottnest Island Authority (RIA) continue to acknowledge and reconcile the Aboriginal prison history on Wadjemup as part of the Wadjemup Project.
The Wadjemup Project is a state-wide Aboriginal-led project facilitated by the RIA with support from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
This project aims to formally acknowledge the island’s Aboriginal history through:
Truth Telling - to acknowledge Wadjemup's history of Aboriginal incarceration and its role in the colonisation of WA;
Ceremony - to facilitate healing in line with Aboriginal cultural protocol; and
Memorialisation - of the former prison sites on Wadjemup, including the Quod and the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground.
To find out more about the Aboriginal culture and history of Wadjemup/Rottnest Island, including the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground, please click here https://rottnestisland.com/the-island/about-the-island/our-history/aboriginal-history