Contact History

Coolbaroo League

The Coolbaroo League was seen as a haven of hope when it began in 1947. It existed in a time of harsh restrictions for Noongars and all Aboriginal people, when we were not allowed to enter the central city of Perth. This barred Noongars from social venues and clubs when everyone else went out dancing on a Friday night. So a dance club of our own was formed, outside the restricted area.

Impacts of law from the Aboriginal Protection Act 1905 onwards

Arguably, the Aborigines 1905 Act (WA) has had the most significant impact on Noongar people, an impact that lasted well into the 1960s and 70s. People such as William Harris, who led a deputation to Premier Collier in 1928, resisted the oppression of this legislative and administrative regime under the control of a Chief Protector.

Impacts of laws on Noongar people before 1905

After European contact there was a clash between Noongar lore and British law. This timeline highlights some of the rules and legislation that significantly impacted on Noongar people.

List of legislation

Legislation that applied to Aboriginal people of Western Australia from 1829.

Missions and Reserves

Missions and Reserves had a profound effect on Noongar culture and way of life. Run by Church organisations, missions aimed to Christianise Noongar people. Some children voluntarily attended school in the missions but many more were taken from their families. Children received only a very basic education and were not allowed to speak their Noongar language. They were made to work in laundries and kitchens and were sent to domestic service when they turned 15. Reserves were areas usually outside a town. Forced off their country and out of towns, Noongars were sent to reserves where government could better control their movements and activities. The reserves generally lacked basic amenities or natural reserves of water that Noongar people would traditionally seek in order to survive.

Stolen Generations

The Stolen Generations are the Noongar and other Aboriginal children who, over one and a half centuries, were taken away from their families and placed in institutions and missions. Most often it was the lighter skinned children who were taken to be assimilated into white society. Sometimes children were on their way home from school or visiting their siblings when they were taken.

War Service

Noongar men and women (and Aboriginal people in general) have served in a variety of Australian Armed forces as early as the 1880s onwards. They fought in the Boer, and First and Second World Wars. Yet their contribution is rarely acknowledged.

Work

Since European colonisation, Noongar people have helped in almost every aspect of the development of the south-west - as guides, shepherds, farmhands, and clearing land - yet they have received little, if any recognition. In the early settler period when labour was scarce, it is no underestimation to say Noongars built the entire south-west agricultural economy. In many ways, this enabled them to stay on their country with their families. Despite their contribution, large numbers of Noongar people were never paid for their labour and instead, received rations as payment.