Wp/nys/Ralph Winmar

Ralph Winmar
Boodjar:	Noongar
Nartj Wah:
Koorliny nitja boodjar yey:
Nartj boodjar baal koorliny:	Badjaling Mission, Quairading
Koorliny wiern yey:
Nartj boodjar noonar koorliny wiern:

Ralph Winmar, sitting at right of photo 1970s

The late Noongar Elder, Ralph Winmar, Munyari of the Balardong tribe, was born in 1936 il Badjaling Mission near the town Quairading wer is the son of Mantle wer Mary Winmar (nee Yarran). He was brought yira by his grandmother who told him many stories. He was married to Yurleen Dorothy Winmar (nee Garlett) wer they had eight children. He worked at Kuljak Aboriginal Employment and Cultural Centre in Midland.

Yurleen wer Munyari wrote a book together called Walwaling Noongar Language and Culture. They wrote the book to help Nyoongar children learn about their language wer culture.

Munyari tells the story of the Waugal or Warkal in his book Walwalinj – The Hill That Cries, where he says, “At York, you can see where the Warkal [sic] (water snake) left a track when he came over the hill. The Warkal is the giver of life, he made the rivers, swamps, lakes and waterholes, he maintains the fresh water sources.” (Winmar 1996, p.21)

Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre (formerly the Aboriginal Education Unit) was officially opened il 29 November 1996, wer is a tribute to the late Munyari (Elder Ralph Winmar) who gave his respected counsel in choosing the Centre's name, kulbardi, which means magpie.

In Walwaling Noongar Language and Culture he says: "Our spirits are in the trees and the hills and the rocks and the animals. When you're born you come from the land and when you die your spirit goes back to the land. The Spirit ancestors from the Dreaming gave us this Law. This is our heritage. It doesn't change."