State Records Office of Western Australia

State Records Office of Western Australia The State Records Office (SRO) is WA's public records and archives authority Please be aware that posts may contain images and names of people now deceased.

SWAN RIVER PAPERS DIGITISEDThe Swan River Papers comprise copies of approximately 1,050 documents leading up to the esta...
08/09/2026

SWAN RIVER PAPERS DIGITISED

The Swan River Papers comprise copies of approximately 1,050 documents leading up to the establishment - as well as early years - of the Swan River Colony, spanning the period 1826-1834. They are a key resource documenting how the Colony was to operate. The Papers also give insights into initial interactions between Colonists and Traditional Owners.

The documents were copied from original Colonial Office records in London by noted transcriber Alice Mayes between 1904-05. Alice Mayes was engaged for this work by the WA Premier's Office.

The Swan River Papers were deposited with, it seems, the Registrar General's Department and transferred to Dr Battye in 1908. The Papers were accessioned into the State archives collection when the first State Archivist Mollie Lukis was appointed in 1945.

The documents that comprise the Swan River Papers appear to have been selected by Alice Mayes. The documents are not in date order but rather reflect in part the order in which the original UK documents are preserved as well as from personal decision by Alice Mayes.

Alice Mayes' handwritten documents were typed and bound in 18 volumes in the 1980s. These typescript copies have recently been digitised with digital copies now available through's SRO's online catalogue. The documents are text searchable and our general catalogue search will also identify text and keywords in the Swan River Papers.

SRO is contemplating consolidating all Swan River Papers into a single document for download for greater usability. In the interim, you can access the online copies of the Swan River Papers here: https://archive.sro.wa.gov.au/index.php/informationobject/browse?sort=identifier&topLod=0&query=cons58&sq0=cons58

(Image from Alice Mayes’ handwritten version of the Swan River Papers, SROWA, cons 58).

HAVE YOUR SAYThe WA Government is inviting all Western Australians to share their thoughts on the 2029 WA Bicentenary. Y...
02/09/2026

HAVE YOUR SAY

The WA Government is inviting all Western Australians to share their thoughts on the 2029 WA Bicentenary. Your feedback will help inform planning and ensure the program reflects the experiences, histories and aspirations of people from across Western Australia.

To have your say, complete the short survey online by 31 October 2026, see: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/government-of-western-australia/western-australias-2029-bicentenary

(Image: SROWA, Proposed Centenary Stamp design in 1929, cons 1496, item1928/0096).

STREET SCENESPhotographic scenes of the streets of the Perth C*D. The photos are undated but this set is from the 1960s-...
07/08/2026

STREET SCENES

Photographic scenes of the streets of the Perth C*D. The photos are undated but this set is from the 1960s-70s.

From WA Tourism Development Authority photographs being processed into the State archives collection.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE 1962 EMPIRE GAMESPlanning for Perth’s bid to hold the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games com...
30/07/2026

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE 1962 EMPIRE GAMES

Planning for Perth’s bid to hold the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games commenced as far back as 1952. Surprisingly, in 1956 the international Games Association announced that the 1962 Games would be held in Adelaide. The Perth Lord Mayor Harry Howard commented that this decision was: “beyond comprehension … I am bitterly disappointed at the decision … but nevertheless I extend to South Australia my warmest congratulations.”

The Lord Mayor lobbied strongly for this decision to be re-considered for two years. Finally, in July 1958 it was announced Perth would hold the 1962 Games after all. The Perth Lord Mayor then said: “My feeling is one of intense relief … though we were always hopeful we kept our fingers crossed to the end.”

The City of Perth’s land holdings at that time ran from Victoria Park to the coast. Residential land sales in City Beach and Floreat generated the revenue to help fund the building of new venues. The initial proposal for a new Olympic Swimming Pool situated on 20 acres in Kings Park was met with public opposition, and finally voted against in Parliament in 1959. Construction of many of the Games venues did not commence until 1960, and completion of the Athlete’s Village was made just in time.

There was also debate about a site for the new athletics stadium. Burswood was suggested, before a decision was made to place Perry Lakes Stadium at Floreat. The estimated cost of construction was 250,000 pounds (equivalent to $10 million today).

We've teamed up with the WA Museum, the City of Perth and the State Library of WA for a pop-up showcase at Boola Bardip, that revisits the people, places and memories of the 1962 games. See it as part of a visit to the museum until 30 August. Find details here: https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/boolabardip/commonwealth-games-2026

City of Perth WA Museum Boola Bardip State Library of Western Australia Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport

THE 1962 EMPIRE GAMES 🏅Before Glasgow 2026, take a trip back to Perth in 1962, where the seventh British Empire and Comm...
23/07/2026

THE 1962 EMPIRE GAMES 🏅

Before Glasgow 2026, take a trip back to Perth in 1962, where the seventh British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held. For nine days, Western Australia welcomed athletes from across the Commonwealth to become the centre of international sport.

From packed grandstands and medal moments to the stories behind the athletes, Western Australia has been part of the Commonwealth Games story for more than 60 years. 💛💚

In celebration of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the State Records Office and the City of Perth are sharing images from the archives capturing the many facets of the Perth Games activities from 1962.

NAIDOC WEEK - TOMMY DOWERNAIDOC Week is an important moment to recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aborig...
08/07/2026

NAIDOC WEEK - TOMMY DOWER

NAIDOC Week is an important moment to recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This NAIDOC week, we want to highlight the contributions of Tommy Dower (c. 1845 – 1895), a Nyungar leader and early land rights activist.

In 1879, when Dower was probably in his early 30s, he spent 6 months assisting Alexander Forrest cross the Kimberley. Two years later, he went exploring again – this time as a guide on John Forrest’s expedition to survey the land between Beverley and Albany.

When Dower returned to Perth, he was a well-known local figure thanks to his work with the Forrest brothers. He frequently used his public profile to call attention to the injustices faced by Aboriginal people.

Dower was particularly concerned with the difficulties experienced by Nyungar people pushed off their traditional lands, with no renumeration, and forced to survive without access to the natural resources that had previously sustained them.

In 1886, Dower (and another Nyungar man named Johnny Carroll) sent a petition to the Governor of Western Australia requesting land for their people. The petition, which was supported by a long list of notable settlers, asked the Governor to grant the Aboriginal people ‘living near Perth and Fremantle’ a ‘piece of land, on which they may erect their tents and plant gardens where they and their family may live’.

This remarkable petition is held by the State Records Office as part of the State archives collection.

In response to Dower and Carroll’s petition, 2,000 acres of land were set aside to create a reserve for the ‘use and benefit’ of local Aboriginal people. However, less than 15 years later the reserve was cancelled, and the land reappropriated by the Government.

Dower did not live to see the end of the reserve. He died in 1895 and was buried at East Perth Cemetery.

Professor Tiffany Shellam spoke about Tommy Dower and the significance of his petition in episode 2 of Voices from the Archives, a podcast hosted by the State Records Office: https://www.wa.gov.au/government/announcements/voices-of-the-archives-episode-2

The late historian Professor Geoffrey Bolton also wrote about Tommy Dower:https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p72051/pdf/article066.pdf

Petition details: https://archive.sro.wa.gov.au/index.php/quot-tommy-dower-others-quot-grant-of-land-for-camps-vegetable-gardens-etc-petition-of-various-aboriginals-for-1886-4592

SHORTLIST FOR THE 2026 MARGARET MEDCALF AWARDA record number of 15 local creatives and researchers have been shortlisted...
02/07/2026

SHORTLIST FOR THE 2026 MARGARET MEDCALF AWARD

A record number of 15 local creatives and researchers have been shortlisted for this year’s Margaret Medcalf Award for Excellence in Research using the Western Australian State Archives.

This annual Award is hosted by the State Records Office of WA. The Award is for Excellence in Research and honours Ms Margaret Medcalf OAM, WA’s second State Archivist for her landmark contribution to the development of the State archives collection from 1971 to 1989. Ms Medcalf turned 100 years old on 26 March 2026.

The diverse range of shortlisted nominations for the 2026 Award include a theatre production, board game, online content, PhD and Masters theses, books and journal articles.

2026 Margaret Medcalf Award shortlist:

Examining the 1841 Wonnerup/Minninup Massacre through Western Australian Colonial Records and Wardandi Oral Histories (MPhil thesis) by Mary Blight, Curtin University, 2025.

"our own familiar English": A historical sociolinguistic study of the shaping of Australian English through the lens of Western Australia (PhD Thesis) by Madeliene Clews, University of Western Australia, 2025.

Our Horrible Asylum (Masters Dissertation and Board Game) by Fiona Giles, Notre Dame University, 2025.

‘Secrets of the prison house’ an inmate’s view of Fremantle Prison 1903-1905 by Bert Leighton (book) by Andrew Gill (Editor)

Tracking Frontier Violence: Expanding Territories and Control of Country (Unpublished Paper) by Michelle Hilbrands, 2025.

Japanese Doctors in White Australia: Treating Prejudice (Book) by John Lamb. Routledge Advances in Asia Pacific Studies, 2025.

‘A Convict in Her Own Right': Rethinking Prisoner Classification in Western Australia, 1829–1868 (article) by Emily Lanman in Law & History: Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Law and History Society 11 (1) 2025.

Brendan’s Odyssey - Barracks Arch, the Pemberton to Northcliffe Railway, the Big Bell Hotel, the Brisbane and Wunderlich display parks and the Jokers Tunnel (YouTube Channel and Website – 2025 contributions) by Brendan Meharry, 2025.

Collecting the West: Revealing Western Australia through its Collection (book) by Alistair Paterson, Andrea Witcomb, Gaye Sculthorpe, Baige Zylstra, Tiffany Shellam, UWA Publishing, 2025.

The Shameful Isles: the true story of North-West Australia's fatal experiment with medical Apartheid (book) by David Price. Fremantle Press, 2025.

The Aboriginal Land Inquiry: Recovering the Voices of the WA Aboriginal Land Rights Movement 1983-1984 (BA Hons Thesis) by Ashleigh Severinsen. Notre Dame University, 2025.

The Unfortunate Woman v Her Well-Respected Killer (Exhibition Film) Old Court House Law Museum by Megan Shaw (Curator) and Andrew Clarke (Director, Edify Media). Law Society of Western Australia, 2025.

Riots: Returned soldiers and public disorder in Australia at the end of World War 1 (Book) by Fiona Skyring. UWA Publishing, 2025.

Arthur Haynes and the Smoking Gun (Theatre Production) by Theatre 180 (Jenny Davis, Playwright and Josephine Jay, Visual Design and Production). Theatre 180, 2025.

The Australian Wars: the truth about the bloody battles fought to establish the nation (book - chapters relating to Western Australia) by Rachel Perkins, Stephen Gapps, Mina Murray and Henry Reynolds (Editors) - (WA Chapters written by Chris Owen, June Oscar, Henry Reynolds, Kim Scott) [Allen & Unwin, 2025].

The Award winner will be announced at a ceremony to be held at the Alexander Library Theatre in October 2026.

INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVES WEEKToday we look back at images from some of our previous Facebook posts, as well as additional ...
10/06/2026

INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVES WEEK

Today we look back at images from some of our previous Facebook posts, as well as additional items from the State Archives Collection and events held by the State Records Office.

This week (8-12 June 2026) is International Archives Week ( ). Under the auspices of the International Council on Archiv...
08/06/2026

This week (8-12 June 2026) is International Archives Week ( ). Under the auspices of the International Council on Archives - ICA the week promotes the important role of Archives and archivists in ensuring accountability, transparency, democracy, heritage, memory and society.

This years theme for the week is : Rights. Memory and Futures. This theme underlies the fact that Archives hold records that are fundamental to the exercise of justice and the protection of rights. The ways in which these records are preserved, described, accessed, and governed directly influence how individuals and communities can pursue truth, accountability, and justice.

The State Records Office of WA holds many government records that have been used to support claims for justice, redress and compensation over the years. For example, in 2016 former Senator Andrew Murray who served as one of the six Commissioners on the Australian Government's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, delivered a Geoffrey Bolton Lecture titled "Children in need: identity and justice" which discussed the role of records for those who experienced institutional care as children: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/bigideas/geoffrey-bolton-lecture/8080898

EARLIEST ABORIGINAL HANDWRITING IN WA? Last week, we posted about documents written in 1854 by two Menang Noongar childr...
03/06/2026

EARLIEST ABORIGINAL HANDWRITING IN WA?

Last week, we posted about documents written in 1854 by two Menang Noongar children, Rhoda Tanatan and Rachel Wardekan. These documents are included in the Colonial Secretary’s Office records held at the State Records Office. They have recently been used by Shona Coyne and Tiffany Shellam as part of their work in curating a new exhibition - Kalyagul: Connections to Menang Country - which is opening next month in Albany.

Following our post, we were contacted by Dr Emily Lanman who let us know that she had come across an earlier letter written in 1843 by Noongar boy Goanger. In previous years, Emily carried out a methodical check of Colonial Secretary’s records as part of her PhD into Colonial offenders in WA (1829-1868) and remembered Goanger’s letter. Emily kindly provided us with the reference to the letter, which we are reproducing here.

In this letter, Goanger writes to the WA Governor to request that his brother Joseph be released from gaol. Joseph had been placed at the Fremantle Roundhouse in April 1843 for leaving employment without permission. Goanger’s request appears to have been successful as Joseph was released 4 days after his letter was written.

The matter was reported in the Perth Gazette at the time, which states "… we give the following, which is a copy of a letter written to the Colonial Secretary by a native lad, and the substance of the letter, we are informed, was his own dictation." This implies that the letter was dictated by Goanger but written by someone else. But we at State Records believe it is more likely the letter was written by Goanger himself and our view is also shared by Emily. In closely examining the letter, we note that it is written in a hand that is not fluent in writing. It appears to be written by someone still learning to write. There are also some obvious errors with spelling (some of which have been corrected in pencil but at a much later time, possibly the early 1900s). The letter has also not been initialled or annotated by another party which almost certainly would have happened had it been written by someone else with Goanger dictating.

Given all this, we think this letter may be the earliest surviving example of Aboriginal handwriting in Western Australia. If that is the case, what an extraordinary document, not to mention such an early example of Aboriginal advocacy. Our sincere thanks to Emily in letting us know about this letter.

From other Colonial Secretary’s Office records, we know a little bit more about Goanger and his brother Joseph. Joseph married Mary Warrup in 1843, exchanging their land grant on Roe Street and taking up 4 acres of land adjoining the native school at Galilalup near Wanneroo. In 1848, Goanger left the employment of Adam Armstrong (father of Francis Frazer Armstrong) and was received into the Perth Native Institution and married a fellow pupil. Goanger was known as Goanger Armstrong and Joseph as Joseph Frazer, no doubt because of the connection to Adam Armstrong as well as his son Francis Frazer Armstrong. F.F. Armstrong was an interpreter of Aboriginal language in the Swan River Colony and supervisor at the Native Institution at the base of Mount Eliza.

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