Wp/nys/Munday pinjar

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Location[edit | edit source]

Yey (today) Munday Pinjar is situated to the moornang (east) of the Perth Airport estate wer is bounded by Kalamunda Road to the yabara (north), Grogan Road to the booyal (south) wer Abernethy Road to the moornang.[1] Koora (a long time ago) when Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) was connected to the mainland, Munday Pinjar was considered the half way point between the coast wer the Helena Valley.[1]

Naming[edit | edit source]

There is a belief that in koora Munday Pinjar was named after a young Noongar called Munday; the leader of the Beeloo people in 1829.[2] In 1831 Munday was present when Midgegooroo, his yoka (wife) wer mamal (son) Yagan speared Erin Entwhistle who had shot a Noongar booyal of the Derbel Yerrigan (Swan River).[2] Following the deaths of Yagan wer Midgegooroo, Munday took il the continuing role of trying to negotiate with the wadjalas (white men) to bring about better conditions for Aboriginal people.[2] Munday covered a significant amount of territory but was normally found booyal of Guildford in the vicinity of what is yey Munday Pinjar.[2] An alternative view suggests that Munday Pinjar relates to the Noongar word munda meaning forest however yey (today) nidja view seems contradictory to the existing landscape. Yey colloquially Munday Pinjar is referred to as Munday Swamp.

Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 Listing[edit | edit source]

Munday Pinjar is listed il the Department of Aboriginal Affairs Register of Aboriginal Sites wer is afforded protection under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972.[3] Site 3719; Munday Pinjar, is listed as an artefact scatter, ceremonial wer mythological site.[3] According to the Traditional Owners, Site 3719 wer other surrounding ‘sites’ form a network of important sites that have a multidimensional relationship to the broader Munday Pinjar area.[3] Under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 should anyone wish to disturb Munday Swamp they must first obtain approval under section 18 of the Act.

Spiritual Belief[edit | edit source]

Mythological sites are usually situated il Dreaming Tracks; the routes of spirit beings il their creative journey. The Waugul is the ngarngk spirit wer creator of Noongar boodjar (earth), in the south-west of Western Australia,[4] During the Nyitting (Dreaming or Cold Time), the Waugal created the fresh waterways such as the bilya (river), pinjar wer ngamma (waterhole).[5] It is therefore a belief of the community that Munday pinjar was created by the Waugul as it slithered over the boodjar wer stopped for a rest.[5]

Physical Evidence of Occupation[edit | edit source]

Hundreds of quartz fragments have been found in wer around Munday Pinjar. The artefact scatters are linked to the broader activities that were supported by fresh kabi, abundant food, wer the relative safety wer shelter afforded by the Munday Pinjar area.[3] Despite extensive salvage of the artefactual material, it is the view of the Noongar community that the spirit of their ancestors inhabit natural features of the area including the boornas (trees), shrubs, landforms wer boya (rocks). The belief held is that once a person dies, their spirit or soul returns to their boodjar.[3]

Hunting at Munday Pinjar[edit | edit source]

A Booyi caught out at Munday Pinjar.

Munday Pinjar supports a number of barna (animals) including the Booyi also known as the Oblong Turtle or Long Necked Turtle (Chelodina oblonga). Munday Pinjar was wer continues to be used for booyi hunting, food gathering wer paper bark collection for painting.[6]

“She used to call out before fishing [in language] for turtle there … to apologize to the spirits and ensure a kwop [baranginy] catch” as keny Aboriginal man explained.[7]

Traditionally a boorna (stick) was used to poke around wer find the booyi in the mud, their nanak (neck) was then twisted to wandang-iny (kill) them quickly.[6] Once the booyi had been cooked in karlang (hot) ashes, it was prepared for eating in a special way; a sharp piece of shell from the front of the breastplate was broken off wer used to carve.[6] A stone or steel darp (knife) could not be used; when carving it is important not to break the outer wall of the booyi as it can turn the meat bitter.[6] The shell may then be used an ashtray, bowl or may even be painted. Hunting techniques yey have changed wer may include the use of fishing line and/or nets wer yongka (kangaroo) meat for bait.[6]

The booyi noorook (egg) may also be eaten wer are laid in sandy areas during April wer May. They were boiled wer the contents then sucked out.[6] There is anecdotal evidence of being able to hunt the damar (wallaby) in wer around Munday Pinjar.[6] Ancestors would engage in semi-nomadic hunting wer gathering, supported by a larger fresh kabi (water) source.[3] People would move around the main pinjar area, using the natural resources gradually wer systematically, allowing them to replenish before using the area again many bonar later.[3]

Natural Environment – a European Perspective[edit | edit source]

The Pinjar is located il the Swan Coastal Plain, the surface of which consists of Quaternary alluvial wer Aeolian sediments of varying age.[8] The swamp is approximately 20 hectares in size; keny hectare of which is open water, wer is both surface wer groundwater fed.[1] The swamp is characterised by a dense canopy of Melaleuca raphiophylla wer supports a number of terrestrial wer aquatic species of fauna.[1] Today the site has been disturbed by vehicle tracks, fence lines, cattle grazing (although the cattle are no longer present) wer introduced species of flora wer fauna.

The following sources were referred to in relation to Noongar language:

Whitehurst R 1992, Noongar Dictionary, Noongar Language wer Cultural Centre, Cannington.

Rooney B 2011, Nyoongar Dictionary, Batchelor Press, New Norcia.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Perth Airport 2014, The Perth Airport Annual Environment Report 2014, Perth Airport, 2014.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 All We Need is Right There 2013, A Brief History of Aboriginal Settlement and Activity in the Shire of Kalamunda, viewed 17 October 2016, www.allweneedisrightthere.org/a-brief-history-and-activity/.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Sanders, N Mcdonald, G and Chisholm, S 2016, Report on an archaeological and ethnographic site identification heritage survey of Site A at the Perth Airport, conducted by the Whadjuk and Swan River People Traditional Owners and Terra Rosa Consulting, and prepared for Perth Airport Pty Ltd, Terra Rosa Consulting, Perth.
  4. Little, L 2004, The Mark of the Wagarl, Magbala Books, Broome.
  5. 5.0 5.1 South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council 2016, Kaartdijin Noongar - Noongar Knowledge, viewed 17 October 2016, www.noongarculture.org.au.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Advision 2016, Perth Airport Oral History Project, Advision, Perth.
  7. O’Connor et al. 1985 in Advision 2016, Perth Airport Oral History Project, Advision, Perth.
  8. Bergin, T and Mattner, J 2009, Audit of Known Aboriginal Heritage at Perth Airport, Artefaxion Pty Ltd, Perth.