Family is the heart of Noongar culture. There is strength in family, a loyalty that connects us and brings love and respect.

Growing up in Pinjarra, I was surrounded by family. I was born under the Moodjar Trees in 1946 and became part of a large family. There was me, my mum and dad, and 14 brothers and sisters. My aunties and uncles also lived nearby with my cousins. So, there was always a lot of people around and lots of good memories.

When I was a young fella, us kids had a lot of fun in the river. We would spend time climbing trees, swimming, chasing marron and catching kangaroo. Sometimes we would set up camp and sleep alongside the water.

My home was always a happy place - with my mum and dad. They were hard working and looked after the family. Between them they did good at keeping us well fed, dad was good at hunting off the land and mum would make nice meals from whatever dad bought back – maybe fish, kangaroo or sweet potato (yams).

Our lifestyle was always centered around food. In the summer, we would catch lots of crab and mullet that run in the fish traps our ancestors put in the river.

Because of the good food stocks during summer, this time of year was special for us. Pinjarra would welcome visitors from all over the Noongar Nation, as families from other areas would come and join in a three-month feast. Hundreds of us would get together, share food, celebrate new life and remember those who had died.

It was at this time of year particularly when the oldies would share a lot of knowledge. Gathered together, I remember sitting with family listening to many oral stories.

Learning about culture this way is special for us. Sharing oral stories has given us knowledge about country over thousands of years. These stories guide us and how we connect with the land.

We were taught that this whole country is sacred. My ancestors have been on this land since day one of human beings. My people all come from this sacred place, and we have learnt everything there is to know about it. We know every inch of it.

We know where to find the good tucker, and how to catch it and prepare it. Things like grubs, gum from Acacia tree and yams are all things that you have to learn how to find. You have to know what to look for, it’s not easy.

We know a lot about the land and now it is my time to pass it on to the next generation. Things like sacred places, traditions, the Wagyl and so on. When people visit Pinjarra, I invite them to learn about and respect this culture and our stories.