Examining the 1841 Wonnerup/Minninup Massacre through Western Australian Colonial Records and Wardandi Oral Histories

Abstract

This research examines the Wonnerup Massacre of 1841 at Geographe Bay in Western Australia in an exploration of primary and secondary sources, colonial archives and Wardandi Noongar oral histories, including newly recorded oral histories. It examines how the Wonnerup massacre of 1841 was forgotten by settler society but remains a strong oral tradition for Wardandi people, at a time when truth telling is more important than ever.