Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground
“Led by Aboriginal representatives from across the state, the Wadjemup Project is working to deliver truth-telling, ceremony and commemoration strategies to formally acknowledge and reconcile the Aboriginal prison history on Wadjemup (Rottnest Island). The project is one of Australia’s first large-scale acts of recognition related to the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal people.”
Wadjemup Project Progress Report (2022)
A significant focus of the wider project is the acknowledgement and memorialisation of the Aboriginal Burial Ground. This part of the project has involved many contributors over many stages over many years. UDLA’s involvement commenced in early 2018. During that stage (referred to as Stage 2), the project team (which included Karen Jacobs, Gordon Cole, Grant Revell, Joshua Kalmund and UDLA) developed a stakeholder engagement strategy and conducted state-wide consultation, after which a preferred Concept Plan, accompanying report and design process were developed.
The Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground is identified as a 4-hectare wooded area to the north-west of the Quod, which was built by the labour of Aboriginal prisoners and served as a prison for several decades. Almost 4,000 Aboriginal men and boys were incarcerated on Rottnest Island between 1838 and 1931.
The concept principles for the tangible elements of the design include:
(1) The Edge - establishing a direct relationship to the burial ground; (2) Site as Ceremony - creating opportunities within the path to be ceremonially and seasonally managed through cultural practices; (3) The Walk - circumnavigating the burial ground with a path of reflection and contemplation; (4) The Ceremony Grounds - creating two spaces for ceremonies of different types and sizes; (5) Planting - a diverse array of endemic groundcovers held together by a grid of Tuarts.
As outlined in the Wadjemup Project Progress Report (2022), the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground Stage 2 project offers a new narrative for state-wide Aboriginal-led memorials. In addition to providing a space for ongoing ceremony and a space to promote healing, intangible outcomes include:
Educating people about Wadjemup’s Aboriginal Heritage;
Educating people about Wadjemup’s history as an Aboriginal prison and its role in the European settlement of WA;
Raising awareness of the significant Aboriginal Heritage related to the prison era including the Quod, Burial Ground and other related buildings, sites and infrastructure;
Honouring and paying respect to the Aboriginal men and boys that were imprisoned on Rottnest and died en route to the island, during incarceration and whilst attempting to return to their home countries after release; and
Understanding the memorial as cultural ceremony.
The bigger outcome is that the state-wide engagement process undertaken by the project team has significantly contributed to broader truth-telling, ceremony and commemoration strategies. Truth-telling is an ongoing process promoting healing and countering racism to reduce the potential for new trauma.
The Wadjemup Project Progress Report was published in June 2022 to provide a summary of the historical and contemporary events and issues relevant to the Wadjemup Project.
The project is ongoing and all about moving toward a safe and meaningful future for Wadjemup and its rightful custodians. It is part of a bigger act of reconciliation between the State and Aboriginal people that will lead to empowerment and respect, giving a voice to Aboriginal people whose ancestors were imprisoned on Wadjemup and are buried at the site.
Details:
Client: Rottnest Foundation
Aboriginal Country: Whadjuk Noongar Country
Location: Wadjemup (Rottnest Island), WA
Dates: 2018 - 2019
Design team: UDLA, Karen Jacobs, Gordon Cole, Grant Revell, Joshua Kalmund
Collaborators: Rottnest Foundation, Rottnest Island Authority
Contributor Acknowledgement: Gnowangerup Aboriginal Corporation, Goldfields Land and Sea Council (GLSC), Katanning Aboriginal Corporation, Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC), Kojonup Aboriginal Corporation, Rottnest Island Deaths Group (RIDGAC), Sister Kate’s Home Kids Aboriginal Corporation (SKHKAC), Southern Aboriginal Corporation, South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC), Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC), Tambellup Aboriginal Corporation, Wadjemup Aboriginal Reference Group (WARG), Whadjuk Noongar Elders and Leaders Group - Men, Whadjuk Noongar Elders and Leaders Group - Women
