AUSTRALIA: Streetart Rottnest Island - Reconciliation WA & Wadjemup Project - Urban Art & Prison History

Rottnest Island, known as Wadjemup in the Aboriginal Noongar language, is an island about 18 km off the coast of Perth near Fremantle, with only a few hundred permanent residents, mainly working in tourism. Originally a significant site for the Noongar people, the island was used by British colonial authorities from 1838 as a prison for Aboriginal men and boys; around 3.700 were incarcerated there until 1931, at least 373 of whom died and were buried on the island, making it a significant place of remembrance. Today, Rottnest Island is a popular tourist destination known for its beaches, turquoise bays, and car-free environment, as well as for the native Quokka. Key sights include the Wadjemup Lighthouse, the former prison site, and numerous colonial-era buildings. At the same time, the island is increasingly recognized as a place of memory and reconciliation, supported by cultural initiatives such as the WADJEMUP PROJECT that aim to acknowledge and share its history. Here we have a collection of urban artworks photographed by graffiti hunter and streetart lover MAZZANTI. Check out her instagram channel, where she regularly presents great pictures from Sweden and from other countries all over the world. We just started the page with a few photos, if you also have photos of streetart, graffiti, sculptures or any kind of urban artworks from this place, then send them to info@vagabundler.com and we will add them to the page.

Wadjemup Wirin Bidi – Aboriginal Ceremony 2024

Aboriginal people from across Western Australia gathered on Wadjemup aka Rottnest Island for the ceremonial week Wadjemup Wirin Bidi, means in English “Spirit Trail”, to conduct Sorry Business and commemorate the Aboriginal men and boys imprisoned there between 1838 and 1931. During this period, Wadjemup functioned as a site of incarceration, forced labour, and segregation; around 3.700 Aboriginal prisoners were held there, at least 373 of whom died and were buried on the island.

From 4th till 8th November in 2024 private ceremonies on Wadjemup and Manjaree aka Bathers Beach in Fremantle focused on healing, remembrance, and laying spirits to rest, attended by about 200 Aboriginal participants. The week concluded on 9th November with a public commemoration featuring truth-telling by Elders, community contributions, and cultural activities.

The event forms part of the broader Wadjemup Project, an Aboriginal-led initiative supported by the Rottnest Island Authority and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, aimed at acknowledging and reconciling the island’s history as an Aboriginal prison site.