Report
Nyungar Tourism in the South West Region of Western Australia: A Case Study Analysis
Centre for Social and Community Research, Murdoch University
2006
Abstract
For thousands of years Nyungar people have lived in the southwest of Western Australia in Nyungar boodjar or country. The Nyungar belief system stems from Nyungar cosmology, the Nyungar Rainbow Serpent or Creator the “Waakle”. Whadjuck/Balardong Len Collard (2000, pp.2-4) tells of how “the Waakal came out of the earth. Sometimes it went kardup boodjar or under the earth and sometimes it went yirra boodjar or over the earth and it made bilya the rivers, the kaart the hills and ngamar or the waterholes”. Nyungar theorised the Waakle created the Derbal Yirragan, now known as the Perth waters of Swan River which means, “where the estuary is filled up to by the winding river” (Kickett 1995, p.4). It also made all the other waterways in Nyungar boodjar. The late “Keeper of the Stories” Balardong/Whadjuck Ralph Winmar, reinforced the Waakal theme in his story when he said, “At York, you can see where the Warkal [sic] (water snake) left a track when he came over the hill. The Warkal [sic] is the giver of life, he made the rivers, swamps, lakes and waterholes, he maintains the fresh water sources.” (Winmar 1996, p.21).
Details
- Title
- Nyungar Tourism in the South West Region of Western Australia: A Case Study Analysis
- Authors/Creators
- S. Harben (Author/Creator)L. Collard (Author/Creator)
- Publisher
- Centre for Social and Community Research, Murdoch University; Perth, Western Australia
- Identifiers
- 991005544386107891
- Copyright
- Centre for Social and Community Research, Murdoch University
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Social and Community Research
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Report
Metrics
2104 File views/ downloads
179 Record Views