March 2010

You just have to pinch yourself, whether you live here or are just visiting, Walpole/Nornalup is certainly a special place to be. We’ve got it all here.

We don’t have the old architectural ruins that can be found in other parts of the world such as Europe, but a sense of time can be found in our natural landscape; in our ancient land. It can be found in the remains of a granite mountain range(Albany-Fraser Orogen) over a billion years old or the Tingle Forest, survivors of the Gondwana period of some 50 million years.

And of course in can be found in the people that have lived here for tens of thousands of years. They too are part of this ancient land

Find your way to the suspension bridge over the Deep River, walk out to the middle, stand quietly and observe. The  river below remains pristine as do the tall timber stands that shroud it. The sounds from the abundant birdlife community are impossible to ignore but they seem to only add to the overall serenity. Now consider the people who lived in partnership here with the land for tens of thousands of years, the “Murrum”. It is January and this is the season “Birak”(December to January) one of their six seasons determined not so much by the weather but by the flowering plants, the nesting birds or the movement of animals. The river beneath you provided them fish and Marron, sometimes caught using bundles of Native Dodder as a form of netting. On the banks they could utilise the Karri Hazel for spear making, Paperbark for wrapping food and other trees could provide such things as digging tools, boomerangs and bowls. Medicines such as the Hibbertia flower or Bracken are also there for the picking as is food plants such as the Zamia fruit or Leucopogans and after eating the base of the Sword Grass they could weave the leaves into carry baskets. Of course the local quokka, yonga (roo), or wage (emu) in the area would not only provide a feast but also supply a wealth of resources such as clothing, sinew, oils, fats, spear tips, drum skins, feathers, pouches,  leather, eggs, etc. Nothing went to waste and if they had surplus or were in need of other items then they could trade with neighbouring tribes, but only after a message stick was exchanged, but that’s another story!

This short article merely scratches the surface of what is an extremely complex but at the same time humble culture that includes people as part of the land.

As we move around these holidays enjoying the natural assets that Walpole/Nornalup has to offer, let’s respect the past and do our bit to protect the future.

We’ve still got it all here.

Is it little wonder the name for the Noongar tribe that lived north of here , the Bibelmen (Bibbulmun), stands for “land of plenty”?