Sandra Daws (Town of Cambridge), Susanna Iuliano (City of Vincent), Poppy van Oorde-Grainger, Glenda Kickett, Ian Wilkes and Samuel Yombich Pilot-Kickett after receiving the history council award. Photo by Martin Pujol.

AN arts project about Lake Monger’s buried colonial history has won a prestigious award for its outstanding contribution truth-telling in Western Australia.

The Galup art project picked up the History Council of WA award at the state library on Tuesday.

Lake Monger was a traditional Noongar camping and meeting place known as Galup (Kaarlup) – a place of fires – and site of one of the first colonial massacres of Noongar people in 1830.

The Galup arts project included a live performance and virtual reality experience created by Noongar theatre-maker Ian Wilkes and Poppy van Oorde-Grainger with an oral history from Noongar elder Doolann-Leisha Eatts. 

Photo by Poppy van Oorde-Grainger.

Ms Eatts’ daughter Aunty Glenda Kickett and grandson Samuel Yombich Pilot-Kickett were alongside Mr Wilkes and Ms Oorde-Grainger to accept the award on her behalf. 

“Mum always dreamed that this story would be told and seeing it come to life was a very proud moment for us. She would be so proud of the team for this award,” Ms Kickett said.

Mr Wilkes and Ms Oorde-Grainger said in a statement the Galup arts project was designed to increase awareness of Galup/Lake Monger’s history while bringing people together for connection and healing. 

“We thank the history council for their recognition of the significance of this important story in the history of WA and the truth it tells about the impacts of settler colonisation which continue to this day,” they said. 

The team is taking the virtual reality film into schools and libraries and advocating for a memorial at the lake to raise awareness of its history.