Mooro
Encyclopedia
The Mooro were a Nyungar
Indigenous
clan who lived in and to the north of Perth
, Western Australia
, until shortly after European settlement at the Swan River Colony
in 1829. Their territory stretched from the Swan River north to the Moore River
beyond the northern limits of metropolitan Perth
and east to Ellen Brook. Evidence of indigenous
occupation of the Swan Coastal Plain
extends back more than 40,000 years.
The Mooro traversed the lakes and wetlands running parallel to the coast, including Yanchep, Lake Neerabup, Lake Joondalup, and as far south as Lake Monger
(Galup). The region was a key food and water source, where wild fowl, fish, frogs, freshwater tortoise
s and a range of marsupial
s could be captured. The coastal region to the west yielded chert
and limestone suitable for making stone tools. They moved with the seasons, seeking higher ground further east in winter, then returning in late spring and setting fire to the bushland to capture game such as wallabies, kangaroos and possums. Their main camp was at Mount Eliza
in what is now Kings Park
.
At the time of European settlement, Yellagonga
, the uncle of Yagan
, was the leader of the Mooro group. Initially, relations were friendly, and a number of explorers such as Robert Menli Lyon (1833–1834) and Sir George Grey
(1838) reported on favourable encounters with groups of Mooro. John Butler, a Swan River settler who in March 1834 went north to search for cattle pasture, reported that "the natives were those Wanneroo men who frequent Perth in company with the Yellagonga tribe – they were friendly towards us but we were cautious in letting them see our bread". However, competing demands for resources and cultural misunderstandings resulted in conflict.
By the late 1830s, having been largely removed or restricted from the lands on which they had been self-sufficient, and decimated by European diseases and conflict with settlers, the traditional lifestyle had gone into demise. A census by Francis Armstrong (1836 C.S.O. 58:163) counted 28 Mooro. Within less than 20 years, the community had basically disintegrated, with the remaining people exiled to permanent waterholes on the outskirts of Perth.
Noongar
The Noongar are an indigenous Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast...
Indigenous
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
clan who lived in and to the north of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, until shortly after European settlement at the Swan River Colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
in 1829. Their territory stretched from the Swan River north to the Moore River
Moore River (Western Australia)
Moore River is a river in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia.The headwaters of the river near Walebing and flow westerly before joining with the Moore river East near Mogumber then flow in a Westerly direction...
beyond the northern limits of metropolitan Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and east to Ellen Brook. Evidence of indigenous
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
occupation of the Swan Coastal Plain
Swan Coastal Plain
The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geological and biological zone, one of Western Australia's...
extends back more than 40,000 years.
The Mooro traversed the lakes and wetlands running parallel to the coast, including Yanchep, Lake Neerabup, Lake Joondalup, and as far south as Lake Monger
Lake Monger
Lake Monger is a large urban wetland on the Swan Coastal Plain in suburban Perth, Western Australia nestled between the suburbs of Leederville, Wembley and Glendalough...
(Galup). The region was a key food and water source, where wild fowl, fish, frogs, freshwater tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
s and a range of marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
s could be captured. The coastal region to the west yielded chert
Chert
Chert is a fine-grained silica-rich microcrystalline, cryptocrystalline or microfibrous sedimentary rock that may contain small fossils. It varies greatly in color , but most often manifests as gray, brown, grayish brown and light green to rusty red; its color is an expression of trace elements...
and limestone suitable for making stone tools. They moved with the seasons, seeking higher ground further east in winter, then returning in late spring and setting fire to the bushland to capture game such as wallabies, kangaroos and possums. Their main camp was at Mount Eliza
Mount Eliza, Western Australia
Mount Eliza is a hill which overlooks the city of Perth, Western Australia and forms part of Kings Park. It is known as Kaarta gar-up and Mooro Katta in the local Noongar dialect....
in what is now Kings Park
Kings Park, Western Australia
Kings Park is a park located on the western edge of Perth, Western Australia central business district. The park is a mixture of grassed parkland, botanical gardens and natural bushland on Mount Eliza with two thirds of the grounds conserved as native bushland. With panoramic views of the Swan...
.
At the time of European settlement, Yellagonga
Yellagonga
Yellagonga was the leader of the Whadjuk Noongar on the north side of the Swan River . Colonists saw Yellagonga as the owner of this area. However, land rights were also traced through women of the group...
, the uncle of Yagan
Yagan
Yagan was an Australian Aboriginal warrior from the Noongar tribe who played a key part in early indigenous Australian resistance to British settlement and rule in the area of Perth, Western Australia. After he led a series of burglaries and robberies across the countryside, in which white...
, was the leader of the Mooro group. Initially, relations were friendly, and a number of explorers such as Robert Menli Lyon (1833–1834) and Sir George Grey
George Edward Grey
Sir George Grey, KCB was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony , the 11th Premier of New Zealand and a writer.-Early life and exploration:...
(1838) reported on favourable encounters with groups of Mooro. John Butler, a Swan River settler who in March 1834 went north to search for cattle pasture, reported that "the natives were those Wanneroo men who frequent Perth in company with the Yellagonga tribe – they were friendly towards us but we were cautious in letting them see our bread". However, competing demands for resources and cultural misunderstandings resulted in conflict.
By the late 1830s, having been largely removed or restricted from the lands on which they had been self-sufficient, and decimated by European diseases and conflict with settlers, the traditional lifestyle had gone into demise. A census by Francis Armstrong (1836 C.S.O. 58:163) counted 28 Mooro. Within less than 20 years, the community had basically disintegrated, with the remaining people exiled to permanent waterholes on the outskirts of Perth.