Planning has begun to formally teach the history of the Pinjarra massacre - and Western Australian Governor Chris Dawson's apology - in the state's schools.
On October 28th, 1834, Western Australia's first Governor, Captain James Stirling, led an expedition by an armed group onto the land of the Binjareb people.
On the banks of the Murray River, Stirling and his men shot at members of the local tribe for up to an hour, killing multiple men, women and children. The massacre was documented by one of that party, the state's first Surveyor General John Septimus Roe, along with account by Stirling himself.
It is the only known massacre on Australian soil led by a Governor.
Last October, on the 191st anniversary of that event, Governor Dawson AC APM issued a formal apology for the actions of his predecessor.
As "a continuation of that gesture of reconciliation", Government House has been consulted about its research, including access to handwritten accounts and resources for inclusion in the WA Humanities and Social Sciences school curriculum.
School Curriculum and Standards executive director Juanita Healy and Mandy Hudson, assistant executive director of Curriculum, Assessment and Strategic Policy, recently met with Governor Dawson and his team to discuss the project.
The resource materials and lesson plans will be available for Year 5 and Year 9 teachers in WA schools later in the year.
A Government House spokesperson told National Indigenous Times the process "is in its very early stages, including the consultation process with Bindjareb and Noongar Aboriginal Elders, educators, archivists and historians".
"While Government House are being consulted in the process, and are wholly committed to contributing, the School Curriculum and Standards Authority is the lead agency," they said.
"Government House welcomes and looks forward to being involved in the project. It promises to be another important waypoint on the continuing Reconciliation journey."
Government House said local Aboriginal leaders and Senior Elders "will continue to provide cultural governance and guidance as the project progresses".
