Indigenous WA
The first inhabitants of Western Australia were Indigenous Australians from a variety of language and kin groups. Indigenous people continue to have a significant presence in the region. In fact to this day there are more then 365 language groups in Australia and more than 60 in Western Australia alone.
Western Australia is heavily stacked with a rich Indigenous history and culture. Many of these original ethnic groups were vanquished during the 200 years of European colonial expansion. Modern day Indigenous Australians are the key to humanity’s oldest continuous culture, providing a living link with up to 70,000 years of history. In the Kimberly Region you can explore ancient rock art and cave paintings. The world famous Bradshaw paintings known as Gwion Gwion are here and are believed to be 50,000 years old. Local communities offer family stays for an authentic experience of aboriginal culture on the Dampier Peninsula.
You can learn more about the beauty of Indigenous culture by visiting various Indigenous centres spread throughout Western Australia. These centres can be found at Karijini National Park in the Northern Pilbara Region, Yallingup in the Southwest and inland at Kojonup.
The Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Committee – or WAITOC – (www.waitoc.com) are a great source of information on Western Australia’s awesome Indigenous culture.
