Barragup Fish Munga (Trap) - Site of

Author

Shire of Murray

Place Number

09017

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There no heritage location found in the Google fusion table.

Location

About 100m S of Barragup Bridge Barragup

Location Details

On Serpentine River, between Barragup Bridge on Mandurah - Pinjarra Road and Webster Way, Furnissdale

Local Government

Murray

Region

Peel

Construction Date

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type	Status	Date	Documents	More information
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type	Status	Date	Documents
RHP - Does not warrant assessment	Current	28 Nov 2008

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type	Status	Date	Grading/Management		More information
Type	Status	Date	Category	Description	More information
Local Heritage Survey	Adopted	26 Mar 2020	Category D	Category D Contributes to the heritage of the locality.
Municipal Inventory	Adopted	25 Aug 2011	Category 1	Category 1 National or State significance The highest level of protection is appropriate including referral for entry on to the appropriate national and/or state registers, and the provision of maximum encouragement to the owner/s to conserve the significance of the place. The place should be photographically recorded and a conservation plan be prepared.	City of Mandurah

Statement of Significance

Barragup Fish Munga is of high social, cultural and historic significance to Aboriginal people as a site where legal, social and ceremonial activities took place. Barragup Fish Munga, if appropriately interpreted, can demonstrate early contact between Aboriginal people and settlers, as well as explore differing attitudes towards use of natural resources.

Physical Description

No remains survive. Originally brushwood trap stretched across the river.

History

Largest gathering place for Aboriginal people in one precise spot in the State. It was used as a trading centre, with people coming from as far afield as the Eastern States to trade. The history of the Barragup (or Barraghup) area is very ancient. During late summer and autumn, 400 to 500 Aboriginal people would assemble from a wide area to camp there, catch fat mullet, and feast for weeks at a time. A large fish trap, a mung-ah the Nyoongar language, was constructed near where the Barragup Bridge now stands. This consisted of a fence made of spearwood and brushwood, and the mullet could be picked out of the water and thrown to people waiting on the bank. It is said that no fish was ever returned to the water in case they warned other fish of the danger. Naturally, European settlers were keen to take advantage of easy fish supplies, but they seem to have caught so many at Barragup that the mullet were practically driven to extinction. All that were left were small pilchards and bream. What could have been a great supply of food for the district was wrecked by overexploitation. Charles Tuckey reported that he had secured 10,000 tins of fish for his cannery from this source in six weeks in 1896. There was tension between the local Indigenous people and white fishermen and the Munga was destroyed. However, it was rebuilt at least three times in the 1890s by Billy Dower, who argued effectively with the Governor for its retention. The Munga was finally destroyed by a Marines and Harbours snagging operation in 1937.

Integrity/Authenticity

Site Only

Condition

Site Only

References

Ref ID No	Ref Name	Ref Source	Ref Date
	richards, Ronald 'Murray and Mandurah'	Shire of Murray & City of Mandurah	1993

Other Reference Numbers

Ref Number	Description
001	Municipal Inventory

Place Type

Historic Site

Uses

Epoch	General	Specific
Original Use	OTHER	Other
Present Use	OTHER	Other

Historic Themes

General	Specific
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY	Aboriginal Occupation
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES	Cultural activities

Creation Date

22 Jul 1997

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

03 Jun 2020

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.