Wadjemup (Rottnest Island)

OVERVIEW

Wadjemup — "the place across the water" in Noongar — was used as a prison for Aboriginal men and boys from 1838 to 1904, and for some years after. Around 4,000 were imprisoned here, taken from across Western Australia, many for offences arising from dispossession. At least 373 died in custody, and most were buried in an unmarked burial ground that later lay beneath a campsite for decades. It is the largest known deaths-in-custody burial ground in Australia.

HISTORY

The Quod, the prison building, was later used as tourist accommodation until community pressure ended that. A Noongar-led truth-telling and memorialisation process has been under way in recent years, and the burial ground has been closed to camping and returned to a place of respect.

REPORTED ACTIVITY

Wadjemup is a place of profound spiritual significance to Noongar people, who understand it as a place of the spirits of the dead — an understanding that predates the prison and stands independent of it. It is recorded here as a memorial and a matter of documented history. It is not a ghost-hunting destination, and members should not treat it as one.

VISITING

The island is open to visitors. Follow the guidance of the Rottnest Island Authority and Noongar custodians; the burial ground is not to be entered.