Enduring Culture

The Aboriginal men and boys that were forcibly taken to Wadjemup came from many different Countries across Western Australia, including Whadjuk Nyoongar Country. They came to the island with their own knowledge and culture which they tried to continue practicing.

Kudjil The Crowman Story

Johnny Cudgel was a Nyoongar man known as ‘Kudjil the Crow Man’. He was believed to possess the powerful magic of a sorcerer (bulyagaduk) and have the ability to transform himself into a crow.

It was believed he used these abilities to escape incarceration on Breaksea Island (off the coast of Albany, Western Australia) and escape from Rottnest Island to be seen at Muradup rocks near Cottesloe, a crow's flight away from Wadjemup. To Nyoongar people he was a symbol of hope and heralded a hero who defied colonial oppression.

Johnny Cudgel ‘Kudjil the Crow Man’ ancestor of the Gidgup family. Courtesy State Library of Western Australia and Ken Macintyre, www.anthropologyfromtheshed.com.

A sense of community

Aboriginal men and boys were occasionally permitted to hunt and fish on Sunday’s. They were called back to the prison for their evening meal at 4pm, with harsh consequences if they didn’t return in time. As such, the men may have stayed within hearing distance of the Quod bell, sitting amongst the trees near the town.

Many artefacts have been found around the shady hills of Wadjemup, suggesting a regular sharing of knowledge and culture. Glass points distinctive to the Kimberley were found across Wadjemup, particularly on the outskirts of the town and away from the eyes of the guards.