History
Shark Bay:
Cultural Heritage
Shark Bay is a place of unique natural wonders, but its cultural heritage is also rich. Over thousands of years people have come to this land: indigenous Malgana, Nhanda and Yingkarta; Dutch traders; French explorers; English entrepreneurs; workers from Asia and the Pacific; tourists from all over the world. Over thousands of years people have left traces of meaning and memory on this land, physical and psychological. They range from ancient campsites, middens and quarries to shipwrecks, sheds, and landmarks named for scientists and surveyors.
Shark Bay is the traditional country of three Aboriginal language groups: the Malgana, Nhanda and Yingkarta.
European heritage
Shark Bay is also a place of significance in the European history of Australia. It is the earliest recorded site of European landfall in Western Australia. It is the place where the oldest European artefact, a Dutch explorer’s engraved pewter plate, was recovered from Australian soil. It is where the first scientific collection of plants was made. It is a place of shipwrecks, territorial claims, exploration and adventure. It is also a place of hard work, and often hard times.
Languages
About 250 different Aboriginal languages were spoken when Europeans first settled in Australia, including three in the Shark Bay region: Malgana, Nhanda and Yingkarta. Unfortunately the impact of European settlement means that, like many other Aboriginal languages, they are no longer used as the everyday medium of communication. However, Malgana is enjoying a revival in Shark Bay, giving local people a strong sense of identity and ensuring their culture continues to grow.
Shipwrecks
Shark Bay is the grave of more than a dozen ships, including whalers, pearl luggers and fishing boats. Some wrecks, such as that of the Zuytdorp (1712), are of cultural significance.
Sourc: Sharkbay.org
Shark Bay:
- is the site of the first recorded landing of a European in Western Australia
- was visited by several notable explorers, whose scientific descriptions and collections represent the earliest non-indigenous records of Australia’s plants and animals;
- features several shipwreck sites; and
- has many non-indigenous cultural heritage sites, including camps and other evidence of 19th century industries.
Cultural Heritage
Shark Bay is a place of unique natural wonders, but its cultural heritage is also rich. Over thousands of years people have come to this land: indigenous Malgana, Nhanda and Yingkarta; Dutch traders; French explorers; English entrepreneurs; workers from Asia and the Pacific; tourists from all over the world. Over thousands of years people have left traces of meaning and memory on this land, physical and psychological. They range from ancient campsites, middens and quarries to shipwrecks, sheds, and landmarks named for scientists and surveyors.
Shark Bay is the traditional country of three Aboriginal language groups: the Malgana, Nhanda and Yingkarta.
European heritage
Shark Bay is also a place of significance in the European history of Australia. It is the earliest recorded site of European landfall in Western Australia. It is the place where the oldest European artefact, a Dutch explorer’s engraved pewter plate, was recovered from Australian soil. It is where the first scientific collection of plants was made. It is a place of shipwrecks, territorial claims, exploration and adventure. It is also a place of hard work, and often hard times.
Languages
About 250 different Aboriginal languages were spoken when Europeans first settled in Australia, including three in the Shark Bay region: Malgana, Nhanda and Yingkarta. Unfortunately the impact of European settlement means that, like many other Aboriginal languages, they are no longer used as the everyday medium of communication. However, Malgana is enjoying a revival in Shark Bay, giving local people a strong sense of identity and ensuring their culture continues to grow.
Shipwrecks
Shark Bay is the grave of more than a dozen ships, including whalers, pearl luggers and fishing boats. Some wrecks, such as that of the Zuytdorp (1712), are of cultural significance.
Sourc: Sharkbay.org