Place Names Melville Project
In collaboration with Noongar Elders and community, Community Arts Network (CAN) and Moodjar, the Place Names Melville project explores the rich meanings and stories behind Noongar place names across the City of Melville, sharing kaartdijin – knowledge, language and culture – through a community-led process grounded in respect and cultural integrity.
Phase I - 2022
The project began with the decoding, cultural mapping and creative exploration of three Noongar place names, Goolugatup, Willagee and Jenalup (Blackwall Reach). This phase culminated in the exhibition Ngala Bidi Wongi Boodjar – Our Paths Talking Country.
Find out more about Phase I
Phase II – 2023 to 2024
With thanks to Major Supporter Lotterywest, Phase II expanded on this important work. The project continued with intensive decoding workshops, led by Professor Len Collard, that placed Noongar knowledge and language at the forefront, working through colonial records using a community-led consensus-driven approach to decode and translate fourteen place names.
Following this, a series of creative explorations involving primary school students, community members, Elders and First Nations artists led to the powerful exhibition Doontanboro Kura - Melville Waters Dreaming, which invited the wider community to engage with and celebrate Noongar stories and perspectives.
Find out more about Phase II
Image credit: Hugh Sando