Joint Statement: Update on Wadjemup main bus stop project

• Bus stop redevelopment ending after ancestral remains were found
• Memorialisation to be done in consultation with traditional owners

Rottnest Island Authority (RIA) has ceased redevelopment of the island's main bus stop in its current location following advice from the Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation (WAC), the recognised cultural authority for the Whadjuk area, together with the Wadjemup Aboriginal Reference Group (WARG) and the Wadjemup Whadjuk Cultural Authority (WWCA).

Works to upgrade the precinct started in March but were suspended on April 8 when Aboriginal ancestral remains, known culturally as Baalang, were found during construction.

RIA has established protocols for ground-disturbing works on the island, including cultural heritage surveys and the presence of Aboriginal heritage monitors while works are carried out. These protocols were followed during the main bus stop redevelopment.

Appropriate authorities were notified of the discovery and, after forensic examination, were identified as being male and consistent with Aboriginal ancestry.

RIA and the WAC have collaborated since the discovery of Baalang to ensure cultural protocols are followed, and respectful decisions are made regarding the protection and ongoing management of Baalang’s site.

Following the discovery, a ground penetrating radar survey and subsequent archaeological investigation found no further evidence of human remains at the site, which has been lodged as an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Place with the Department of Planning Lands and Heritage.

Following discussions with representatives from the WAC, WARG and WWCA, RIA will not proceed the main bus stop project at its current location. The project may be revisited if an alternative suitable site becomes available in the future.

WAC welcomes the decision and considers the protection of Baalang and the surrounding area to be the appropriate cultural priority.

A new pathway to the church, which was being delivered as part of the project, will proceed because it improves access to the building without impacting the burial site.

The discovery of Baalang outside of the known burial ground is of profound cultural and spiritual significance to Whadjuk Noongar people and the broader Aboriginal community.

Baalang was returned to their resting place following a cultural ceremony in May and it was agreed by the representatives that no further DNA or aging of the bones would be carried out.

Future memorialisation of the Baalang site will be developed in consultation with Whadjuk Traditional Owners and will have regard to the broader memorialisation work being undertaken through the Wadjemup Project.

This state-wide Aboriginal-led project facilitated by the RIA and supported by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet is delivering truth-telling, ceremony, and commemoration strategies to acknowledge and reconcile the Aboriginal prison history on Wadjemup based on broad consultation with Aboriginal groups across the state. 

Initiatives include:

• Truth Telling - to acknowledge Wadjemup's history of Aboriginal incarceration and its role in the colonisation of WA;
• Ceremony - to facilitate healing in line with Aboriginal cultural protocol; and
• Memorialisation - of the former prison sites on Wadjemup, including the Quod and the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground.

Works to stabilise the Quod are well progressed and expected to be completed later this year. Construction of the memorialisation of the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground is well underway and is expected to be finished in early 2027.

RIA and WAC recognise the profound cultural and spiritual significance of Wadjemup to Whadjuk Noongar people and the broader Aboriginal community. We acknowledge and express our deep regret for the significant distress the recent discovery and subsequent investigations have caused Aboriginal people.

WAC encourages Aboriginal community members to reach out to their office or their local Aboriginal Corporation for support and information.