Buneenboro 

Booneenboro / Gabbee Darbal / Derbal Yerrigan

Description & Location

Buneenboro is the name for the Perth Water. It is a wide section of the bilya (Swan River) bounded by the present-day Causeway Bridge to the east of the Perth CBD and Narrows Bridge to the west. 

The path of the bilya is said to have been created by the giant rainbow snake of Noongar Dreaming, the Waugyl, as it meandered its way towards the ocean. The causeway to the east of Buneenboro is where the Waugyl got stuck in the mudflats and had to shake off its scales to continue its journey. Historically, Buneenboro was much larger in size; however, considerable reclamation work, such as the creation of Langley Park, has taken place overtime on both sides of the river.  

Buneenboro is sometimes also referred to as Derbal Yerrigan. In the Noongar language, Derbal Yerrigan refers to the Swan River estuary and a site of yakan (turtle) dreaming. Yakan and their noorook (eggs) were one of the many rich food sources that could be found in and surrounding the river banks. Traditionally, Noongar women would find and catch turtles by walking slowly through dried up swamps, pools and other waterways using their toes to feel for breathing holes where yakan, kooya (frogs), and gilgies (small freshwater crayfish) were found. Sedges were also sometimes used to weave nets to catch djildjit (fish) and yakan.

Buneenboro was also home to numerous maali (black swans) that are recorded to have swam in the water and rested on exposed sand bars, such as Gaboordjoolup, at the time of European contact.

Today, Buneenboro is far saltier than it once was due to the removal of the sandbar at Fremantle which used to protect the river’s mouth, and the damming of the Helena River. This has led to a disruption in the original ecology of the area. Despite these changes, it continues to be a place of great cultural and spiritual significance to Noongar People. 

References

Bates, D. (1909, December 25). Oldest Perth. Western Mail, p. 16. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37401699.

Bates, D. Manuscript 365/4/175, Notebook 20, p. 58.

Bolleter, J. (2015). Take me to the river: The story of Perth’s foreshore. University of Western Australia: Crawley.

South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council. (updated 2019). Kaartdijin Noongar. Retrieved from https://www.noongarculture.org.au/spirituality/.

The Western Australian Journal. (1833, April 20). The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal, p. 62. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article642121.

Vinnicombe, P. (1989). Goonininup: A Site Complex on The Southern Side of Mount Eliza : An Historical Perspective of Land Use And Associations in The Old Swan Brewery Area. Perth, WA: Western Australian Museum.

Western Australia. Public Works Dept & Palmer, Charles Stuart Russell (1903). Perth Water : plan showing general scheme of proposed improvements. Public Works Dept, Perth, WA.

Western Australia. Town Planning Dept & Western Australia. Perth Water and Burswood Island Foreshore Advisory Committee (1972). Perth water and Burswood Island foreshores : outline plan of proposed foreshore uses. The Dept, Perth, WA.

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