|
One
of
the
first
explorers
of
the
Denmark
district
described
a
place
of
fine
soil,
towering
timber
and
plentiful
water.
Giving
such
a
description,
Dr
T
Wilson
showed
he
had
great
expectations
for
future
settlers.
Dr
Wilson
was
one
of
the
first
European
men
to
penetrate
the
new
territory
outside
the
King
George
Sound
Settlement
that
had
been
set
up
in
1826.
In
1829,
with
the
backing
of
Commandant
Sleeman,
(Commandant
of
Albany),
Wilson
took
a
party
of
men
to
explore
the
interior.
Guided
by
the
Aboriginal
Mokare,
the
party
discovered
and
named
many
geographical
features
of
the
Denmark
district.
Such
names
as
the
Denmark
and
Hay
Rivers,
Mt
Lindesay
and
Mt
Shadforth
still
remain
to
this
day.
The
Denmark
River
was
named
by
Wilson
after
a
medical
friend.
The
man,
Denmark,
had
played
an
influential
role
in
Wilson's
career.
Despite
the
positive
nature
of
Wilson's
reports
about
Denmark,
subsequent
exploration
by
Captains
Collet
Barker
and
T
Bannister
in
the
early
1830s
raised
some
unfavourable
aspects
of
the
district.
Captain
Bannister
particularly,
thought
that
problems
would
arise
for
settlers
owing
to
the
thickly
timbered
nature
of
the
land.
It
is
little
wonder
then
that
the
majority
of
the
early
visitors
to
this
region
limited
their
visits
to
the
coast.
The
beaches
of
the
area,
later
to
be
Denmark,
were
frequented
by
whalers
and
sealers.
Captain
Bannister
named
one
of
the
beaches
William
Bay
after
William
Edward
Parry,
an
arctic
explorer.
Visitors
to
the
shores
of
Denmark
would
have
found
evidence
of
Aboriginal
habitation
in
the
area.
Fish
traps
were
built
in
the
form
of
low
stone
walls
in
Wilson's
Inlet.
The
Aborigines
left
reminders
such
as
ochre
and
dolerite
quarries.
Remains
of
stone
tool
making
and
cooking
fires
in
caves
have
been
found.
Aboriginal
names
have
remained
in
the
district,
examples
being
Mehniup,
Owingup,
Kordabup
and
Nullaki.
Prior
to
European
occupation
Aboriginal
tribal
groups
had
travelled
extensively
throughout
the
region,
supported
by
their
hunting
and
gathering
activities.
Their
culture
and
organisation
developed
with
a
strong
association
with
the
land.
The
structure
of
their
society
was
seriously
threatened
with
the
arrival
of
the
Europeans.
Despite
initial
friendly
relations,
contacts
with
the
new
settlers
was
disastrous
for
the
Aboriginal
population.
Many
deaths
resulted
from
conflict
as
well
as
from
exposure
to
European
diseases
such
as
measles,
influenza
and
small
pox.
There
are
various
rumours
about
a
taboo
placed
on
the
Denmark
region
by
Aboriginal
people.
This
may
account
for
the
disappearance
of
the
Aboriginal
people
from
the
Denmark
district.
However,
this
hypothesis
has
never
been
proven.
The
more
accepted
but
equally
tragic
theory,
was
that,
the
many
deaths
leading
from
European
introduced
diseases
decimated
their
population.
|
