Alistair Paterson, Ken Mulvaney, Emma Beckett, Jo McDonald
Flying Foam Passage was a focus for the colonial-era pearling industry. Our work on Dolphin Island investigated a place named previously as ‘Rock Pool Creek’ or ‘Cemetery Beach at Watering Bay’. The rock art here reveals a deep-time use of this place by Aboriginal people, and more recent inscriptions by historically significant figures.
Ten Aboriginal sites were recorded here documenting a deep time attachment to this place. Early art styles include archaic faces, dot-headed figures and complex geometrics. More recent art depicts the rich maritime resources of the Passage. An artefact scatter and quarry were documented in the intertidal zone, interpreted as pre-dating sea level rise, and there are stone structures placed in prominent locations.
Historical evidence includes six graves (believed to be of Malay pearlers: three were excavated by McIlroy in 1979) and ballast in the intertidal zone.
The Collections made by the West Australian Museum are gathered and presented here, as well as the current recording of archaeological features.
The evidence from collections made in the 1970s provide clear evidence for Asian people being part of the pearling fleet that used this bay in the historic period, as well as this being an important watering place focus for the pearling fleet; as indicated by the historic records.
Historic inscriptions are by colonial personalities and a boat; there is no evidence that Aboriginal people continued to produce art here during this period.
Click on each photo to learn more
All photographs within this monograph were taken by CRAR+M researchers, partners and students, and have been given cultural approval for publication by Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation. Future use of imagery would require additional permissions from Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and CRAR+M.
© 2023. This work is licensed under a