This scene is taken from William John Huggins 1827 work Swan River 50 miles up. It depicts Captain Stirling’s exploration party coming ashore along the banks of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River). In the foreground several Wajuk people sit passively as onlookers. On 29 September 1829 the first land grants were made open to the public. In 1839 the Ribbon Grants were initiated. These land grants divided the land into strips along the river. Each strip of land was given to individual families. For the Wajuk people this concept of individual land ownership was a foreign one. If you were to go to the river for water, egg, fish, waterfowl, turtle or worship after 1839 you were trespassing.

Christopher Pease, 2005