Local Government
Mandurah
Region
Peel
McLarty St Halls Head
Reserve 45814
Mandurah
Peel
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHP - To be assessed | Current | 19 Dec 2008 |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 20 Jul 1999 | Category 1 | |
Daisy Bates suggested that Winjan’s was the oldest purely Western Australian family tree recorded, as it dated back to the days before Flinders visited King George sound, and incorporated the genealogy of the groups of the Bibbulman people who occupied the whole of the South-West at the time of European settlement. George Winjan was well-known to Mandurah’s European population. He was a leader of his own people and was respected by black and white people alike. He also served as a mediator between both communities and his life can be viewed as an early example of reconciliation. Plans to rejuvenate Winjan’s Camp signify the importance of this site to Mandurah’s local Aboriginal population.
Winjan’s Camp was set aside for open space in recognition of its significance. The developers of the surrounding canal estate have developed the area in consultation with the Winjan Aboriginal Corporation.
George Winjan camped in the bush behind Sutton’s farm. There were once many old trees on the site, particularly tuarts, but most of them are now dead or in poor condition. A natural soak is located where the paperbark tree still stands, and it was here that Winjan once lived with his wife, Susan/Sarah (accounts differ) in a shanty that was probably built for him by George Sutton. According to Daisy Bates, George Winjan’s native name was Yaburgurt, and he was also known as Wittungit. Apparently his European friends called him ‘George’, and Winjan himself tacked this name onto his father’s name, (Winjan) in imitation of the European way. Old Winjan (George’s father), is believed to have ruled the whole South-West tribes. Although Pinjarra was his headquarters, Mandurah was his birthplace. Old Winjan died in 1884. George Winjan is believed to have survived the Battle of Pinjarra (28.10.1834) as a young child, an incident which killed or injured about half of the tribe’s adult male population, as well as women and children. In spite of this, and the fact that he was the leader of the remainder of his people, he earned the respect of Mandurah’s white community. He died in 1915. The Winjan Community intends to rejuvenate the site.
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Nannup | Conversation | 22-11-1997 | |
| Daisy Bates "The native tribes of Western Australia" Isobel White (ed) | National Library of Australian, Cnaberra | 1985 | |
| J E Hammond "Winjan's People: the story of the South-West Australian Aboriginies" | Imperial Printing Co Ltd, Perth | 1933 | |
| Daisy Bates "Aboriginal Perth: Bibbulman biographies and Legend" | Hesperian Press, Victoria Park, WA | 1992 |
Historic Site
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | PARK\RESERVE | Park\Reserve |
| Original Use | FARMING\PASTORAL | Other |
| Present Use | SOCIAL\RECREATIONAL | Other |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| PEOPLE | Aboriginal people |
| OCCUPATIONS | Grazing, pastoralism & dairying |
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