Approval for hotel re-development near largest burial ground of Aboriginal people

Brendan Moore - Chairperson of South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) in WA Source: Brendan Moore

Approval has been granted to redevelop Rottnest Island Lodge with construction work set to begin mid-2022. The authorisation is conditional on an Aboriginal cultural heritage plan for the site and using Whadjuk Noongar language.

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Rottnest Island was used as a prison camp for almost 4000 Aboriginal men and boys between 1838 and 1931.

The island is known by the Whadjuk Noongar people as Wadjemup and is home for the Wadjemup Aboriginal Burial Ground where at least 373 Aboriginal men are buried in unmarked graves.

Situated off the coast of Fremantle in Western Australia, Rottnest Island is now a popular holiday destination.