Dryandra Woodland - Department of Environment and Conservation ...

CULTURAL RESOURCES
9. ABORIGINAL HERITAGE
BACKGROUND
There is sufficient archaeological evidence to indicate that Aboriginal people have occupied the
south-west of Western Australia almost certainly for 40 000 years (Merrilees et al. 1973, Hallam
1975) and, possibly, for as long as 50 000 years (Hallam 1981).
There were thought to be at least 13 different Aboriginal clans in the south-west region: collectively
the people are known as Noongars. The word Noongar, or its linguistic equivalent, is identifiable as
the word for Aboriginal (or person) in many of the vocabularies in this region. The people from the
Narrogin district belonged to the Wiilman Clan.
The south-west of Western Australia was the first region of the state affected by European settlement.
Within about 50 years of the founding of the Swan River Colony in 1829, the local traditional
Aboriginal lifestyle had all but disappeared as the new dominant culture set about transforming most
of this region into an agricultural-based economy. As a result of agricultural activities most of the
original vegetation was cleared, leaving isolated areas of native vegetation.
Little is known of Aboriginal use of the Dryandra area. However, evidence of Aboriginal occupation
and links to the area survive in the form of archaeological sites and the ever-growing interest of local
Noongars in re-establishing cultural ties to the land. The Department of Aboriginal Sites has
recorded five such sites within the Woodland. These sites include an ochre quarry, artefact scatters,
stone arrangements, and a scarred tree. Dryandra has not been comprehensively surveyed for
Aboriginal sites and it is likely that others exist.
There has been a significant resurgence of interest in Noongar culture in recent years. Many
Aboriginal people in the south-west are seeking a more active and cooperative relationship with
CALM concerning management and use of the conservation estate and other natural bushlands.
Although most Noongar concerns centre around the preservation of sites within Dryandra, other
interests include the use of Dryandra for cultural activities, maintaining the Aboriginal knowledge of
Dryandra's plants and animals, and conducting guided tours (Noongar TAFE students pers comm.).
Local Noongar people have expressed a strong desire for areas to be set aside where they can legally
engage in cultural activities, including hunting (CALM 1991b). The feasibility of permitting such
activities on various categories of CALM-managed land within the south-west of the State, including
Dryandra, is currently being investigated.
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