Regions

Noongar means ‘a person of the south-west of Western Australia,’ or the name for the ‘original inhabitants of the south-west of Western Australia’ and we are one of the largest Aboriginal cultural blocks in Australia.

Noongar boodja – (country) covers the entire south-western portion of Western Australia.

The boundary commences on the west coast at a point north of Jurien Bay, proceeds roughly easterly to a point approximately north of Moora and then roughly south-east to a point on the southern coast between Bremer Bay and Esperance.

There is no evidence that there has been any other group than Noongar in the South-West. Archaeological evidence establishes that we Noongar have lived in the area and had possession of tracts of land on our country for at least 45,000 years.

In October 2018, the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT) registered all six Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) for the South West Native Title Settlement.

The Settlement is made up of six (6) individual ILUAs. Each of the following areas has a corresponding ILUA:

  • Yued People (Jurien, Moora, Lancelin, Gingin).
  • Gnaala Karla Boodja (Mandurah, Bunbury, Donnybrook).
  • South West Boojarah (Busselton, Dunsborough, Margaret River, Pemberton, Nannup).
  • Wagyl Kaip and Southern Noongar (Katanning, Gnowangerup, Albany).
  • Ballardong People (York, Northam, Hyden, Kondinin).
  • Whadjuk People (Perth Metropolitan area).