First Nations people hold a profound connection to the land, and the path to reconciliation involves acknowledging their enduring cultures, fostering respectful relationships and creating opportunities for socio-economic well-being.
Mooro Boodjar
The Joondalup region is situated on Mooro country, holding great significance for the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation. Mooro Elders have generously granted permission to share stories and information in the Joondalup Mooro Boodjar brochure below, allowing the community to gain a deeper understanding of the First Peoples’ connection to the land. Of particular importance is the story of the Charnok Woman. Printed copies of the brochure are available at all Library branches and teachers can request class sets.
Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
The City of Joondalup’s inaugural Draft Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) was approved by Council in December 2023. The draft RAP will now go through a process of approvals through Reconciliation Australia before the final document is published and made publicly available in mid-2024.
The RAP serves as a framework to realise our vision for reconciliation through practical actions rooted in relationships, respect, and opportunities. As guided by Reconciliation Australia, the Innovate RAP framework outlines:
- Actions for achieving our vision for reconciliation.
- Fosters a deeper understanding of our sphere of influence, and helps to establish the best approaches to advance reconciliation.
- Focuses on developing and strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, engaging staff and stakeholders with reconciliation and piloting innovative strategies to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The City has also established the RAP Community Reference Group.
Noongar six seasons
The City of Joondalup engaged Noongar artist, Teresa Miller, to create a suite of artwork depicting the Noongar six seasons. Teresa painted each piece and provided the below descriptions of each painting and their meaning. Teresa partnered with design agency Norlap Creative who digitised each painting for the City’s use in graphic design. These designs can be seen in the City News bi-monthly publication, and the Joondalup Voice full page fortnightly feature in Perth Now community newspaper.
About the artist – Teresa “Beelya Yorg” Miller
A Noongar Yorgar of the Bibulmen Nation. Artist Teresa Yeridan Miller was born in 1971, Kinjaling (Albany) Minang Boodjar, Western Australia. Her early childhood years were spent on Mount Barker Elleka Native Reserves on the outskirts of town, before moving into a townhouse in Albany.
Teresa’s parents Valerie Miller nee Eades and Samuel Carl Miller hold Traditional Noongar Land Owner connections, throughout Noongar Boodjar. She comes from a family strong in Noongar Culture and has great respect and deep appreciation for her parents, honouring her old people and family, who have ensured her understanding and connection to Lore and Culture, Spirituality, Connection to Boodjar, Kinship Systems and knowledge keeping her identity strong.
During Teresa’s early years on Boodjar, the family would travel throughout the country camping, hunting game, fish and gathering bush tucker. Teresa’s work interprets ancient storylines providing personal insights into her family’s travels, sites of special significance, biddi, bilya, gnaarma, birds and animals.
Season of the Young - December and January
This is the dry time with hotter weather, our time for burning the land to ensure regeneration of the bushlands and grasses. This helped Noongar people to hunt animals for food. Fledglings leave the nest, and the Frogs (Kooya / Kweeyar/ Kwooyar) start to mature, and many reptiles such as the Karda (Goanna) shed old skin and grow. The snakes emerge from hibernation as they feed on the frogs and reptiles. To capture this spirit of Birak, my painting showcases a young Kooya (frog).
Season of Adolescence - February and March
This is the hottest time of the year, with little to no rain falling from the skies. With long days and short nights, it’s the time when animals are coming of age, like Yonga (Kangaroos) leaving the shelter provided by parents and forging their own way in life. Bunuru is also a time with lots of white flowering gums in full bloom. My painting features multiple splashes of white blooms around the young Yonga that’s just emerged from a pouch. It’s a safer time for Yonga as our Noongar Mob seek cool respite near the coast and lakes, feeding more on Djildjit - Fish and Djilki – Crayfish.
Season of Adulthood - April and May
Djeran sees the beginning of much cooler nights, dewy mornings and falling leaves. This is the season that our Noongar people would prepare for the heavy rains soon to come, so Mia Mia (bark shelters) are kept in good condition. The good fishing and aquatic hunting continued into this season, including in and around the many freshwater lakes on Mooro Country (Joondalup) as our people started the movement back to the heart of the boodja (land). The young Yaarkan (turtles) have now grown into adulthood and provide plenty of good tucker before they hide away in the mud.
Season of Fertility - June and July
The coldest and wettest season of the entire year with rain, strong winds, storms and long nights, our Noongar people have moved back inland to hunt now the inland water sources are replenished. This was the season for hunting and eating Yonga (Kangaroo), and making Bookas (Fur Cloaks) from their skins for extra warmth at night. A time of fertility, the animals and birds start pairing up for breeding. My painting has captured the moment when two Djiti Djiti (Willy Wagtails) are courting and deciding to mate. They are soon to become a breeding pair, symbolised by a single leg each.
Season of Conception - August and September
Djilba is mostly cold wet and windy, yet many clear warm days are experienced too which helps bring on an explosion of flowering colour. The flower stalks of the grass (Balga) trees begin to emerge along with all types of young flowers. Being the start of the Wildflower season, many native trees will start to blossom and attract all types of birdlife, including the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo. My painting features an adult Cockatoo carrying a colourful blossom to its mate, symbolising the season of conception. The circular symbols surrounding the Cockatoo represent emerging flowers, and also the many Noongar families coming together to hunt for possum and emu.
Season of Birth - October and November
Kambarang brings back longer, warmer, sunnier days and is even more abundant with beautiful wildflowers now in full glorious bloom, symbolised in my painting by the predominant gold colour. The stalks of the Balga trees are now tall and proud, and the yellows of many of the acacias are everywhere. Banksias, orchids and kangaroo paws are out too. My painting features a Weitj (emu) standing proudly and boldy front and centre. Weitj were once abundant and a very important part of Whadjuk culture on Mooro boodja. Some recent research even suggests that the early Colonial scribes got mixed up when they recorded the local Noongar mob as the Whadjuk people when it was actually the Weitj People.