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About Place Names Melville
Long before there were suburbs, bridges and roads, the locations in the City of Melville had place names known by the Noongar people. Margamangup (Marga-manga-up) pictured here, is the place where they catch fish by hand from a fish trap, it's also known as Lucky Bay.
The Place Names Melville project weaves together community-held knowledge and academic research to uncover and share Noongar place names. Celebrating the richness of Noongar language, heritage and culture, Place Names Melville began in 2022, a partnership between the City of Melville, the Noongar community, Community Arts Network (CAN) and Moodjar.
Image credit: Hugh Sando
Explore the Place Names Melville Map
Discover the rich cultural stories woven into the landscape of the City of Melville. This interactive map brings to life the places, language, artworks and kaartdijin (knowledge) shared by Noongar Elders and community members throughout the Place Names Melville project.
Learn Noongar place names, hear their pronunciations, and uncover the stories and meanings that have been carried through generations of Noongar moort (family) about their boodja (land). As you explore, you’ll also see artworks created during the project, animated to reflect the spirit and stories of each place.
Image credit: Hugh Sando
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Place Names Melville Project
In collaboration with Noongar Elders and community, Community Arts Network (CAN) and Moodjar, the Place Names Melville project explores the rich meanings and stories behind Noongar place names across the City of Melville, sharing kaartdijin – knowledge, language and culture – through a community-led process grounded in respect and cultural integrity.
Phase I - 2022
The project began with the decoding, cultural mapping and creative exploration of three Noongar place names, Goolugatup, Willagee and Jenalup (Blackwall Reach). This phase culminated in the exhibition Ngala Bidi Wongi Boodjar – Our Paths Talking Country.
Find out more about Phase I
Phase II – 2023 to 2024
With thanks to Major Supporter Lotterywest, Phase II expanded on this important work. The project continued with intensive decoding workshops, led by Professor Len Collard, that placed Noongar knowledge and language at the forefront, working through colonial records using a community-led consensus-driven approach to decode and translate fourteen place names.
Following this, a series of creative explorations involving primary school students, community members, Elders and First Nations artists led to the powerful exhibition Doontanboro Kura - Melville Waters Dreaming, which invited the wider community to engage with and celebrate Noongar stories and perspectives.
Find out more about Phase II
Image credit: Hugh Sando
Place Names Melville Podcast
Kaya Wanjoo! (Hello and welcome!) Are you ready to discover hidden stories embedded in Whadjuk Noongar Boodja, the traditional land of the Noongar people of the southwest of Western Australia? Then come walk with us through the Place Names Melville podcast.
Each episode invites you to listen deeply as Noongar Elders and community members share the rich spirit, memory and meaning woven into the placenames of the City of Melville. From ancient trails to familiar streets, you’ll hear voices that bring Country to life, reconnecting us all to culture and history in ways both heartfelt and powerful.
Creative Learning Resources
Place Names Melville helps us to learn the meanings of Noongar place names in the City of Melville. It brings together stories, knowledge, and art to show the deep connection between Noongar people, language and the land.
- Information Pack for Mapping Melville Education Resources
- Explore the Interactive Map
- Mapping Melville Boodja Map Only Activity
- Mapping Melville Boodja Map and Legend Activity
- Answers - Mapping Melville Boodja Activity
- Place Names Posters
- Mapping Melville Boodja Word Search
- Answers - Mapping Melville Boodja Word Search
- Mapping Melville Boodja Crossword
- Answers - Mapping Melville Boodja Crossword
Image credit: Place Names Melville participants
Find out More
If you have any questions or would like more information about Place Names Melville, please get in touch with the team via email at [email protected].
Image credit: Hugh Sando