Our next stop was at the Yagan Memorial Park located in Upper Swan.
This memorial to Aboriginal leader Yagan was officially opened on Saturday 10 July 2010 beside the Swan River at Upper Swan.
Yagan lived in the Swan Valley when Governor Stirling established the Swan River Colony in 1829. In the early days of the settlement Yagan was friendly with the settlers. Unfortunately misunderstandings arose between the settlers and Nyoongah people, leading to the eventual murder of Yagan on 11 July 1833.
The head of Yagan was removed and placed in the wedge of a smoking tree to preserve it. The head was later sent to England and eventually buried in a cemetery in Liverpool. The Nyoongah community successfully returned Yagan’s head, or kaat, to Western Australia in 1997 but the location of his body is unknown.
Following a private traditional Nyoongah burial ceremony, Premier Colin Barnett dedicated the park as a memorial to Yagan. The reburial date was chosen as it was the anniversary of Yagan’s death and coincided with the end ofNAIDOC Week.
Although it looks like we are in the middle of nowhere there is the constant drone of traffic which detracts from the memorial in my opinion, as it is not a peaceful place to visit.
Again I was the only person visiting my chosen destinations, three out of three places all to myself, not bad for a glorious sunny Sunday.
Having stood in an ants nest whilst taking photographs at the Sculpture Park I was mindful of where I was walking, and of course standing whilst capturing our journey, one encounter with a fierce mob of ants is enough for one day.
I did approve of the way this memorial park has been made to look rather harsh, like a desert, infertile and desolate, it emphasises the indigenous tone of the area.
More native flowers were blooming, this one is a Kangaroo Paw, they are quite lovely really, although I don't think kangaroos paws really do look this!
Not sure what this pink flower is, my guess is that it is a type of bottlebrush flower, it was covered in bees, which had me keeping my distance, one close encounter today is enough for me.
These remind me of the Thistles of Scotland, perhaps they may be of the same family?
Looking down into the grassy valley below me was a real treat, I was thrilled to see such an abundance of greenery, birds were still chirping all around me, but do you think I could see one?
Nope!
Heading back to my trusty steed I felt quietly centred, relaxed, ready to return to my little haven.
Although there is just one more stop I wish to make........
1 comment:
That was a delightful walk you took us on today Gemel, a little different from the walk I went on today. I had heard the story of Yagan, this is a lovely tribute.
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