Oyster Harbour Fish Traps reveal the secrets of Menang Noongar culture

It was a crisp sunny Sunday on the last weekend in August, the perfect tranquil morning to head out to the Oyster Harbour Fish Traps accompanied by Menang elder Vernice Gillies and her son Larry Blight. As part of National Science Week this year, Museum of the Great Southern hosted an event called On Country: Oyster Harbour Boodja. It gave people the chance to visit Menang Boodja with local Noongar guides and discover the ancient secrets of the Oyster Harbour fish traps. One of the best preserved examples of fish trapping in Australia, Albany’s fish traps are located at the top end of Oyster Harbour between the outlets of the Kalgan and King Rivers. The fish traps were one of the first sites declared a protected area under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. Attracting the attention of early European explorers, they were estimated to be dated between 5000 and 7000 years old by archaeologist Charlie Dortch. According to the Menang people, the fish trap concept was ideal as they were not known to be a maritime tribe. The fish traps are semi-circular weirs constructed from rocks built to waist height, which would allow fish to swim over the rocky barriers at high tides, before trapping them inside once the tide receded. The Menang people would then be able to spear or catch the fish within the traps. To ensure a sustainable fish stock, the Menang left small gaps between the base rocks to allow smaller fish to escape and continue to breed. The eight traps in the harbour show early evidence of aquaculture and technology designed to harness the resources found on the landscape. They are no longer used but when Ms Gillies suggested they should have a go at using them again, one young boy yelled out, “keep the spirit alive”. At one point on the tour, a big osprey flew overhead with a fish tightly grasped in its talons, delighting the group. Later that morning, Ms Gillies pointed out an osprey nest not far from the traps. Mr Blight shared a discovery he had made in March last year, when he found a variety of stones buried at the base of a tree. He said the stones — used as “kitchen tools” for grinding or crushing — gave insight into what life was like for his ancestors. “I was looking around the area and something just drew me to that tree, these objects just came out of the blue,” he said. “All the stones tell us a tale just because we’re they’ve all come from ... a couple from Pallinup, one from the Stirlings, pyrite possibly as far as Ravensthorpe, so maybe people were coming through on journeys, for trade or as messengers,” Mr Blight said. To finish the tour, Ms Gillies showed how by adding water to soap bush and rubbing your hands together, the leaves produced a foamy natural soap. Being immersed in so much culture in one morning showed just how important this site is to the history of our region.