Moorditj Mob

Banner Credit: Children playing in East Perth, 2 June 1965. (©West Australian Newspapers Limited)

From as early as the 1920s and '30s, East Perth was home to a community of Noongars from different parts of the south west, together with Wongis, Yamatjis, north westerners and Kimberley people.

After WWII, East Perth became a hub for many Aboriginal people from the stolen generation who, after becoming adults and leaving native welfare institutions, came to the city looking for family or work.

East Perth offered cheap shared housing, proximity to jobs and services in the city and hidden places to camp along the river foreshore. It was also outside the Perth Prohibited Area which restricted Aboriginal people's movement in the city from 1927-1954.

Noongars come over here and they used to camp over here too. Big place back in them days. There were Noongars everywhere in East Perth. They come from Moora. They come from Northam. Come to East Perth. Even come from south - Albany. Kalgoorlie boys would come up there. [I] knocked around with them. So it was pretty big, pretty close. Noongars come from everywhere because that's the only place Noongars were allowed to go. They couldn't go right into Perth because they'd get jailed hanging around there. Police were pretty bad back in them days. [Because of] the 1905 Act you had to be in one corner, one paddock. East Perth was the paddock with all the Noongars.... Lindsay Calyun

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