Online database sheds new light on Wadjemup/Rottnest Island incarcerations

The Wadjemup project involved years of research and examination of up to an estimated 8,000 records, covering the details of people sent to the island during the prison’s final 31 years of operation from 1900 to 1931.

The research, undertaken by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries’ (DLGSC) Aboriginal History WA (AHWA) unit involved in checking police documents, court records and newspapers from the time to reveal a wealth of discoveries.

These included the only known woman sent to Wadjemup, as well as around 35 men who had not been identified in previous publications devoted to the history of the island.

New research tracing the journey of each person’s sentencing to Wadjemup, from the date and location of their arrest through to their admission and discharge from the island, is also documented and can be visualised on an interactive map of Western Australia.

For about 100 years to 1931, more than 4000 Aboriginal men and a small number of boys were sent to Wadjemup from across the State, often for petty offences or for cultural-related acts that followed customary laws and practices.

The resource seeks to assist Aboriginal people by tracing their ancestors to Wadjemup and adds to the AHWA’s extensive information base of a lesser-known part of WA’s history.

The project includes input from descendants of Aboriginal people sent to Wadjemup. While most information is publicly available, a small percentage is sensitive and is available only to direct descendants by completing an AHWA family history research application.

Complementing the database is another newly created AHWA resource that allows users to search for Aboriginal passengers who arrived and departed from various WA ports on sailboats or steamships between 1850 and 1925. Within this database are the names and passage details of many of the prisoners that were escorted to Wadjemup or registers their return home.

DLGSC Director General Lanie Chopping said:

“Wadjemup/Rottnest Island has been a part of the story of Western Australia for more than 30,000 years, however, many people know little about the true history surrounding its time as a prison.

“In bringing together years of meticulous research, the database provides an in-depth perspective of Wadjemup’s former use.

"Having one place where people can readily access information from thousands of archives will help those seeking to understand more about their family history to engage with their past.

“Truth-telling projects such as this are an important step towards reconciliation, with the power to promote healing and better understanding and respect for our shared history.

Access the free Wadjemup database and search passenger arrivals and departures.