The City of Melville local government area lies within the traditional lands of the Beeliar people, a subgroup of the Whadjuk dialectical group of the Noongar Indigenous Australians. These are several significant Noongar sites within the City of Melville. Noongar name European nameNotes Willagee Willagee Source of red ochre. Marradungup Atwell Gallery site, Alfred Cove The place where the hands are connected to the water. Meeting place and camping ground, including for local and visiting groups. Jenalup Blackwall Reach Very sacred, with strong ties to the Dreamtime stories of all Western Australian Aboriginal people Niergarup Preston Point Important place of ceremony and camping for local Noongar people. Yagan Mia Wireless Hill Also known as Yagan's Lookout.A "home of the long-necked turtle", an important source of food. Bateman The site of a large dispute with early settlers, in which many Noongar peopled died trying to protect their land. Melville Wetlands Water is essential, and all water bodies have spiritual qualities for the Indigenous people. Booragoon Lake Permanent camping ground for fishing and gathering. Murdoch University site, including North Lake A burial site. Bidi Katitijiny Piney Lakes Reserve Sacred place for women. Also used for young boys' level one initiation. Goolugatup Point Heathcote Permanent lookout, fishing and camping ground. Also used for level two initiation ceremonies. Dyoondalup Point Walter and Burke Drive Foreshore section of Lucky Bay A source for quartz for axes and spearheads. Also used for men's business and level three initiation. The sand bar was used as a river crossing. Quaada Gabee Bicton foreshore Contained freshwater springs. Moondaap Point Dundas—also used more broadly to refer to Waylen Bay, Point Heathcote and the whole Peninsula together with Point Dundas itself The Black Riverbank/Riverbed; Place of the Bull Sharks Margamangup Lucky Bay foreshore in Attadale, Alfred Cove and western Applecross Fish were caught by hand from fish traps. Kooyagoordup Waylen Bay foreshore Doontanboro Melville Water Wagoorjup Canning Bridge Gabbi Kowangulup Canning River mouth Booragoon Canning River, lower reaches Dyarlgarro Beeliar Canning River Gabbiljee Bull Creek The wetlands provide more foods than the surrounding drier areas. Two Caves/Garungup Believed to be the final resting place of the Waarkarl or Rainbow Serpent. The Garungup Caves, Rocky Bay themselves aren't actually in the City of Melville or Beeliar Boodja but the River adjacent within Beeliar is still connected to the site of the Caves opposite.
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