NOWANUP BOODJA
Healing Country - Healing People
Spirit of The Land
Under the stewardship of Eugene Eades, Nowanup has received over 16,000 visitors – through camps, cultural programs, youth-at-risk programs, and eco-art programs.
Visitors come from neighbouring areas as well as from all over the world and all leave feeling enriched and somewhat humbled.
With the unwavering support of a dedicated group, Nowanup is now a Noongar owned and operated property, managed by Nowanup Noongar Boodjar Ltd board of Directors.
Cultural Connection
Surrounded by red ochre in ancient breakaway country, Nowanup is a place of healing, a place for ecological and cultural restoration.
People from diverse backgrounds are welcomed to come together on Country, to be immersed within ancient cultural traditions and connect to boodjar (Country).
Nowanup welcomes corporate groups, schools, universities and community groups to experience cultural immersion on boodjar.
Photo Credit: Michelle Johnston
Eco-cultural Restoration
Once part of a larger sheep farm, Nowanup was purchased in 2004 by the National Trust of WA for the purpose of protecting its 400 ha of bush and restoring the 350 ha of cleared land as part of the Gondwana Link program.
Revegetation work on Nowanup’s cleared farmland quickly got underway with the removal of nine kilometers of internal farm fencing. By winter 2004 trials of brush mulching and direct seeding had begun, and by 2015 virtually all the cleared land was under some form of revegetation.
The Nowanup Caretakers
The Nowanup Caretakers have been healing landscapes since 2015.
The program is based on-Country at Nowanup. This means there is plenty of opportunity for the intergenerational transfer of knowledge, and land care to be implemented in culturally meaningful ways, providing a fulfilling purpose for Noongar people.
Photo Credit: Jim Underwood
Friends of Nowanup
The support from friends has been a part of Nowanup for a long time. Both Rod Safstrom with the Darlington Men’s Group and Bruce Anthony have played a significant role in supporting Nowanup and The Eades family over the years.
Additionally, there have been many more who have come together to support and facilitate camps and programs before the establishment of the Friends of Nowanup.
Friends of Nowanup continues to grow and engage with Nowanup as a volunteer team who enjoy a reciprocal relationship with boodjar and the Nowanup organisation.
Supported By
Since 2006, Gondwana Link Ltd and Greening Australia have provided enormous support to Eugene, the Eades family and Noongar colleagues for the creation and operation of Nowanup. The Friends of Nowanup and other individuals have also played a pivotal and extensive support role over many years.
This website and the current transition to Noongar ownership has been supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program and Lotterywest
Other key groups that have also played a role in supporting and projects at Nowanup over the years:
