Experience the rich history of the City of Cockburn, which spans over 40,000 years. Discover the traditional owners of the land, the impact of European settlement, and the diverse migration of people from around the world that shaped the city's cultural landscape.
The owners of the land that became Cockburn were the Beeliar Nyungar, and they called their land Beeliar Boodjar.
When the first European arrived in Western Australia, the Beeliar Nyungar were led by Midgegooroo and Yagan. Some of their language was recorded by an earlier setler, but for many years afterwards they were neglected and dispossessed by Europeans.
More information is provided on the following:
The Cockburn district was built by migrants at every stage of its history. Early agricultural land policies encouraged migration to build farms and supply a growing colony, and the gold rush of the 1890s saw Chinese, Afghan, southern and easter European migrants arrive to try their luck.
Many moved into Cockburn temporarily, but many more paved the way for their families and friends to follow them, and built Cockburn into the diverse city it is today.
For more information on migration visit the Cockburn History website:
Multicultural Perth
To learn and discover more about Multicultural Perth and how how many Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) communitites have contributed to make Perth the vibrant city it is today visit
Discover Multicultural Perth (omi.wa.gov.au)
For more information about the cultural history and heritage of the City of Cockburn, visit the
Cockburn History website.
If English is not your first language, you can access the Australian Government's
Translating and Interpreting Service. These services provide free telephone or on-site interpreting and are available 24 hours a day, severn days a week, for the cost of a local call. The telephone number is
131 450.