- Funding secured for Aboriginal-led truth-telling and healing at Mogumber
- Former residents, families and communities to help guide the project’s next stage
- Yued Aboriginal Corporation funded to lead planning and consultation phase
- Part of Cook Labor Government commitment to support healing, recognition and Aboriginal self-determination
A significant truth-telling and healing project relating to one of Western Australia’s most painful chapters is set to begin, with the Cook Labor Government supporting the Yued Aboriginal Corporation to lead the first stage of the initiative.
Funding will support Yued Aboriginal Corporation to develop a consultation plan for a truth-telling project centred on the former Mogumber Mission, also known as the Moore River Native Settlement.
The site holds deep cultural and historical significance for many Aboriginal Western Australians, including the Yued people and descendants of those who lived at, or were connected to, the settlement.
The project represents an important step towards healing, creating opportunities for former residents, their families and Aboriginal communities to share their experiences, perspectives and aspirations for the future of the site.
Led by Traditional Owners, the project will support truth-telling, listening and healing, helping shape a shared vision for the future care, recognition and custodianship of this significant place.
Yued Elders, Traditional Owner representatives and Aboriginal communities and organisations from across Western Australia will co-design the scope and approach to consultation, ensuring Aboriginal voices remain at the centre of the process.
Administered by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, the funding will support the development of a comprehensive consultation plan, with the planning process expected to begin over coming months.
The project builds on the landmark 100-year lease agreement between the Aboriginal Lands Trust and Yued Aboriginal Corporation, which provides Traditional Owners with the opportunity to pursue culturally informed agricultural development on more than 4,000 hectares of land at Mogumber Reserve.
Together, these initiatives support Aboriginal self-determination and recognise the importance of Aboriginal-led stewardship in preserving history, strengthening cultural connections and shaping the future of the site.
As stated by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Don Punch:
“For many Aboriginal families, the former Mogumber Mission remains a powerful reminder of a difficult chapter in Western Australia’s history.
“Truth-telling is an important part of healing, and this project will create space for those stories to be shared and respected.
“The Cook Labor Government is committed to supporting Aboriginal-led initiatives that promote healing, strengthen cultural connections and ensure Aboriginal voices guide the future of significant sites such as Mogumber.
“This project reflects our commitment to Aboriginal self-determination by enabling Yued Aboriginal Corporation to lead a process that honours the past, supports healing in the present and helps shape the future care and custodianship of the site.”
As stated by Yued Aboriginal Corporation chairperson Sharna Meinertz:
“We are hoping to build on the legacy of the Bringing Them Home report, and on the superb research that has been undertaken by so many across the community, including Yokai and Curtin University, to comprehensively capture the stories of Mogumber Mission.
“Not all of those stories are of bad memories, but many, many of them are.
“This place needs to be healed, to be set on a path for the future with which we can all be at peace.
“The future custodians of this site must both respect Yued Boodja and honour the histories of so many families from across the traditional lands of Western Australia’s first peoples.
“We hope this project will guide us on a shared vision for the site and the grant of trust to deliver that vision.”
