New exhibition honours Wanneroo’s Noongar heritage

Four years in the making, Welcome to Country is the result of collaboration between the Wanneroo Regional Museum team and a passionate group of local Aboriginal community members.

Highlights of the exhibition include video interviews with prominent Noongar Elders, family-friendly interactive elements such as jigsaws, seasonal flora and fauna displays and language activities, as well as artwork from the Kookaburra Club, on loan from the Berndt Museum of Anthropology.

Wanneroo Mayor Linda Aitken said she was looking forward to the opening of the new exhibition, which was set to be a permanent, but evolving, fixture in the museum.

"Welcome to Country features the recorded voices of our local Aboriginal Elders and traditional custodians, allowing them to tell the stories of Noongar culture and history in their own words," she said.

“This has truly been a passion project for our museum team, as well as the local Aboriginal Elders and members of Ni Kadadjiny Koort, the City’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Group, who have worked closely over the last few years to bring this exhibition to life.

“Our team was inspired by feedback from visiting families, childcare centres and school groups wanting to learn more about our City’s Aboriginal heritage, so I know the community is eagerly awaiting the opening.

“Welcome to Country is a beautiful exhibition full of emotional, vulnerable, heartfelt stories. I encourage everyone to visit the museum and experience Welcome to Country for themselves.”

Judith Birchall, Yamatji woman and Noongar language teacher, provided cultural education guidance and advice on the orthography of Noongar language to encourage students to engage with the exhibition.

“We looked at ways to make the museum education excursion more engaging for students, including hands-on items, videos of people speaking on Country and storytelling, as well as practical ideas that could be implemented over time at the Wanneroo museum,” she said.

“It was also great being on the design working party for the exhibition, getting to give feedback on colours and design ideas that were taken away by the artist, and then to come back to see how he had transformed our ideas into art.”

Welcome to Country opens at the Wanneroo Regional Museum on Friday 28 June.

Find out more about Wanneroo Regional Museum.  

Wanneroo Regional Museum is open:

Mondays to Friday: 10am to 4pm

Saturdays: 12pm to 4pm