Rottnest Island is best known for its clear waters, undulating sandy dunes and friendly quokka, a furry marsupial about the size of a cat. But few visitors acknowledge its violent past.
Situated about 20km off the coast of Perth in Western Australia, the island was originally known as Wadjemup – or “the land across the seas where the spirits lie” – by the Whadjuk Noongar people, its custodians for tens of thousands of years.
