George Winjan (also known as Yaburgurt) was a key Bindjareb leader. He was born probably around about the time when white people first came to Western Australia in 1829, and was a child at the time of the Pinjarra massacre in 1834. It is said that he actually witnessed the massacre which he later described in the following words:
‘They rush camp: they shoot-em man, shoot-em gins, shoot-em picanninies and they shoot-em dogs too.’ (quoted by Richards 1993: 8)
It is believed his mother was killed at Pinjarra along with his brothers Ballong and Carriegem and many other Bindjareb people. Winjan lived around Mandurah and Pinjarra all of his life until his death on 28 March 1915. He and other Noongar people often used to camp around this area, all down this side of the estuary at a time when it was all bush land. Here they could camp in peace, and take on work that was offered by the new arrivals. This monument is to his memory, and goes back to a time when Winjan made his camp near this spot.
