Mount Melville

Statement of Significance

Kardarup/Mt Melville has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place is an important site for the local Menang Noongar people as a traditional meeting site for dancing, trading, rituals and marriage arrangements.
The place is one of a group of significant geographic elements that form the local Aboriginal creation story along with Corndarup/Mt Clarence, Irrerup/Mt Adelaide, Yakkan Toort/Dog Rock and Burmup/Bluff Rock, as a place of mythological significance.
The place includes Manitchpurting which is the rocky area north west of the main peak, the name referencing the cockatoo boasting about the story of the mythic battle between the eagle and cockatoo.
The place is one of the group of significant granite mounts that are strongly identified with the geography and aesthetics of the Albany townsite and as a group provide a unique scenic backdrop to Albany's city centre and harbours.
The place contains Mokare Park, an area of natural bushland named in 1978 in honour of Mokare, a prominent Menang Noongar elder who also served as a post-colonisation guide and companion to French and English explorers becoming one of the best known Noongars of his generation.
The place includes the third Aboriginal Reserve to be conceived in the Albany region, established in 1962 on the southwest side of the mount within the current Heritage Park. The reserve recognises the camp sites maintained across the extent of Kardarup/Mt Melville throughout the 19th/20th century, the most notable camps being associated with Wandinyl, Paddy Coyne and Bernie Inman.
The place is an important landmark and valued by the local community for its cultural and natural landscape qualities.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
• A class and C class reserve
• Significant ademelite granatoid formation which along with Mt Clarence dominate the town of Albany
• Woodland and scrub growth is stunted except in protected areas
• Mostly native flora

Some obvious modifications include:
• Incursion of exotic species of flora
• Granite mining has left scars
• Rubbish fill site
• Ferrel fauna

History

Kardarup – meaning place of the karda (racehorse goanna) - is a traditional meeting site for dancing, trading, rituals and marriage arrangements for the local Menang Noongar people. The place is one of a group of significant geographic elements that form the local Aboriginal creation story along with Corndarup/Mt Clarence, Irrerup/Mt Adelaide, Yakkan Toort/Dog Rock and Burmup/Bluff Rock, as a place of mythological significance. The area of the lookout on Kardarup/Mt Melville is named Manitchpurting which is the rocky area north west of the main peak. The name Manitchpurting has the meaning of the cockatoo boasting - referencing the story of the mythic battle between the eagle and cockatoo.
Captain George Vancouver gave the name Mt Melville to Kardarup after the Viscount Melville, first Lord of the Admiralty in 1791.
Within the boundaries of Kardarup/Mt Melville is Mokare Park an area of natural bushland named in 1978 in honour of Mokare, a pre and post settlement guide and companion to French and English explorers. Mokare is one of the best known Noongars of his generation. His naturally open disposition enabled him to make friends with a visiting French scientific expedition in 1826 and the well-known portrait of Mokare dates from that encounter. De Sainson sketched the portrait and the original is held in Paris.

Mokare’s family were traditional owners of the Albany area. Nakina as the eldest brother was the head of the family. However, Mokare became a key figure through the role he developed as a guide mentor and interpreter to the colonists, and the good relationships he fostered between Aboriginal people and the new arrivals. Mokare soon learnt to speak English and developed close relationships with senior members of the British party. He often stayed with Captain Barker and went hunting and fishing with him. He taught them a great deal about the country, the natural environment and the traditional Noongar way of life. He also led the colonists on expeditions across the region and assisted them in the search for escaped prisoners. His willingness to share his culture was developed even further when Dr Collie took over as the first Government Resident for King George Sound. He was also appreciated for his sense of humour and his mimicry, especially of some of the settlers with Scottish accents (particularly Collett Barker). In June 1831 Mokare (at age 30-35) fell ill with influenza and on the 9th August he died in Dr Collie’s living room. Mokare’s brother Nakina prepared his body for burial and the next day Collie dug Mokare’s grave under Nakina’s supervision and participated in the funeral that was attended by everyone in the settlement both European and Aboriginal. The location of Mokare’s remains is thought to be in the vicinity of the car park behind the current Town Hall.

Aboriginal society has a strong tradition of sharing and this is reflected in the response of people like Mokare to the first European arrivals. Early expeditions tended to visit for a short while before moving on and it was probably some time before it became clear that the British group that arrived on Christmas Day 1826 intended to stay permanently. Although disease was to quickly decimate the local Menang population, it is probably largely owing to the role played by Mokare that bloodshed was avoided in Albany.


The third Aboriginal Reserve to be conceived in the Albany region was established in 1962 on the southwest side of Kardarup/Mt Melville on a site within the current Heritage Park. This land is now vested in the Aboriginal Lands Trust and the Albany Aboriginal Corporation. Camp sites were maintained across the extent of Mt Melville throughout this century, separate from the official reserves. The most notable camps were those of; Wandinyl, Paddy Coyne and Bernie Inman. Wandinyl’s (aka Tommy King) camp was above Serpentine Rd. A photo of Wandinyl in his bush camp was taken in 1903 and is available at the Albany Local Studies Library Collection. Paddy Coyne’s camp, was situated on the land immediately south of the current Paddy Coyne flats and Bernie Inman’s camp could be found near the reserve, this is mentioned in his obituary in the Albany Advertiser in 1988.

In 1977 the lookout tower built to honour John A Barnesby was officially opened as part of Albany’s 150th commemorations. Barnesby was a former Mayor of Albany (1955-1962).

Since European settlement the area has also been mined for granite and since World War II has been used as a rubbish land fill site. The area has also been subject to incursion by urbanisation, ferrel fauna and exotic flora. Since 1994 there has been attempts to rejuvenate the area for use for passive recreation.

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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.