Midgegooroo

Midgegooroo (died 22 May 1833) was an Indigenous Australian elder of the Nyungar nation, who played a key role in Indigenous resistance to white settlement in the area of Perth, Western Australia. Everything documented about Midgegooroo (variously spelled in the record as ‘Midgeegaroo’, ‘Midgegarew’, ‘Midgegoorong’, Midgegoroo’, Midjegoorong’, ‘Midjigoroo’, ‘Midgigeroo’, Midjigeroo’, ‘Migegaroo’, Migegaroom, ‘Migegooroo’, Midgecarro’, ‘Widgegooroo’) is mediated through the eyes of the colonisers, some of whom, notably G.F. Moore, Robert Menli Lyon and Francis Armstrong, derived their information from discussions with contemporary Noongar people, in particular the son of Midgegooroo, Yagan. Largely due to his exploits in opposing colonisation and his relationship with Lyon and Moore, Yagan has a much sharper historical profile than his father. Midgegooroo was executed by firing squad and without trial under the authority of Lieutenant Governor Frederick Irwin in 1833.

Nothing is known of Midgegooroo's life prior to the arrival of white settlers in 1829. At that time, Midgegooroo was the leader of his home country, Beeliar, which stretched from the Indian Ocean to the Canning River, south of the Swan River. Robert Menli Lyon reported that the northernmost land in Beeliar adjoined 'Melville Water and the Canning', and was bordered 'by the mountains on the east; by the sea on the west; and by a line, due east, from Mangles Bay, on the south.’ Midgegooroo's main camp (‘headquarters’) was a place known as ‘Mendyarrup, situated somewhere in Gaudoo’, suggesting that it was in the vicinity of Blackwall Reach and Point Walter. However, Midgegooroo's family had some rights to use resources on a large part of what is now metropolitan Perth, and were able to move freely about an even larger area, presumably due to kinship ties with neighbours. For example, he was seen on some occasions as far afield as near Lake Monger and the Helena River.

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