First Nation
We are Hundreds and Thousands of Years of Culture.
Come find the world’s oldest living culture; the Noongar people, have had a connection with the land for almost 50,000 years. The local Aboriginal people and traditional custodians of the Harvey Region are the Bindjareb and Wardandi Noongar people who have a rich social, spiritual, and historical connection to this country. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and their continuing connection to the land, waters and community.
Conservationists by nature, they were semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers who followed a six-season calendar, still used by Aboriginal people today. While visiting, we ask that you respect the culture and care for the Boodja country.
The Wagyl
The Wagyl (also written Waugal and Waagal and variants) is the Noongar manifestation of the Rainbow Serpent in Aboriginal mythology. Our First Nation people describe the Wagyl as a snakelike Dreaming creature responsible for the creation of our rivers and other waterways and landforms,
During a serious drought, Noongar elders ventured to the coast of the Indian Ocean to pray to the Wagyl to end the drought. The Wagyl then came out of the ocean and created the Peel Inlet, where she gave birth to her young. After they matured, they went east from the inlet and formed the Serpentine, Murray and Harvey rivers. However, the Wagyl went out to look for her young and created Lake Clifton and Lake Preston. Thinking they went south, it ventured south and created the flat land around the Leschenault Estuary at Australind. Meanwhile, the young eventually starved and dissolved into water and resupplied underground water reservoirs. This then ended the drought.
The Noongar Six Season & Language
The six seasons – Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba and Kambarang – represent the seasonal changes we see across the South West annually.