Mandjoogoordap, Meeting Place of the Heart

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River with trees on either side.

In the local dialect of the region’s first people, ‘Mandjoo’ means (meeting place) and ‘goordap’ means (of the heart).


Uncle Harry Nannup: Mandjoogoordap

‘I don’t think a lot of people know about the real, where the real fish trap was. Just there on the Serpentine River, by the bridge there, in Barragup. That is where they had their camping grounds. Three months, they would camp there. Thousands of black fellas, they would come there. And they, they would do ceremonies and they would fish and they would trade. You know, they would trade the fish with the people that would come from the hills with tools, the working tools and that they use for making the spears and things. It was the main trading place.

That is what that Mandjoogoordap (Road) is all about. The heart, the heart of Mandurah, that is where it is, that is where the main meeting place is. And a lot of people they don’t know that. Why do you have to have such hard name up there? Because it has got a big meaning, you know. It is the meeting place of the heart. And our people, they used to come from all over.’

Source: Elder Harry Nannup, Transcribed from 2015 Stretch Festival Mandjar Dreaming Audio recording

Full audio (starts ~ 4.15)

In the local dialect of the region’s first people, ‘Mandjoo’ means (meeting place) and ‘goordap’ means (of the heart).


Uncle Harry Nannup: Mandjoogoordap

‘I don’t think a lot of people know about the real, where the real fish trap was. Just there on the Serpentine River, by the bridge there, in Barragup. That is where they had their camping grounds. Three months, they would camp there. Thousands of black fellas, they would come there. And they, they would do ceremonies and they would fish and they would trade. You know, they would trade the fish with the people that would come from the hills with tools, the working tools and that they use for making the spears and things. It was the main trading place.

That is what that Mandjoogoordap (Road) is all about. The heart, the heart of Mandurah, that is where it is, that is where the main meeting place is. And a lot of people they don’t know that. Why do you have to have such hard name up there? Because it has got a big meaning, you know. It is the meeting place of the heart. And our people, they used to come from all over.’

Source: Elder Harry Nannup, Transcribed from 2015 Stretch Festival Mandjar Dreaming Audio recording

Full audio (starts ~ 4.15)

Page last updated: 03 Jun 2020, 11:58 AM