Perth Aboriginal Heritage

The Indigenous Noongar people were the first to inhabit the South-West corner of Australia, hunting and gathering.The country along the Swan River was rich and allowed a high diversity of Aboriginal people. The main food source for the Noongar people came from the sea, the Swan River and the fresh water lakes.

The Aboriginal people were not happy when the European settlers sailed into their shores. British colonisation and the expansion of settlement soon disrupted Noongar life, culture and customs. The settlers had taken up the best land and water sources. Their imported stock ate or destroyed local fauna and food sources. The Europeans introduced a number of diseases which decimated Noongar families. They killed many of the local native animals, particularly kangaroos, for meat and skins.

The conflict between the Noongar people and the European settlers continued, resulting in many massacres. Despite this most Noongar families stayed on their own country. Settlers utilised Noongar labour on their farms. Noongar people maintained their traditional practices and camped and cleared the country for farming. Noongar people kept family connections and their culture going.

Noongar people were excluded and segregated from the rest of the community. Noongar people were excluded from jobs and children were removed from schools. The 1905 Aborigines Act was passed, making any marriage between Noongar and non-Noongar people illegal unless it had been approved by the Chief Protector of Aborigines. The legislation essentially resulted in the legal segregation of Noongar people in Western Australia.
Many families were separated from their wider community into institutions and reserves. The Chief Protector became the legal guardian of every Aboriginal and half caste child to the age of 16, giving the government the power to take a child from their family and place them in institutional care anywhere in the state.

Discrimination towards Aboriginal people became worse and worse as they were transferred all over the country. The 1936 Native Administration Act deemed that eugenic measures would be taken to breed out the colour.

In 1948, Stan Middleton became Commissioner of Native Affairs. In 1965 the equal wage case flowed onto Aboriginal workers. In 1967 a Commonwealth Referendum was held in order to count all Aboriginal people in the census as Australian's, Aborigine’s soon after gained land rights, and continue to assert their rights and identity. They have a unique, vibrant, identifiable and strong culture that is well recognised today due to their immense strength, support and dynamism.

Explore the history of Australia through the amazing collection of Aboriginal artwork, didgeridoos and artefacts in the Creative Native Aboriginal Art Gallery.

Operating since 1987, Creative Native offers an enlightening Indigenous experience where visitors can appreciate different styles of Aboriginal art from different regions of Australia.  

The Gallery offers a huge range of genuine, distinctive and contemporary souvenirs including music, jewellery, clothing and homewares. Visitors are also welcome to test their skills with a free didgeridoo lesson.