Visitors can follow these trails around the lake, and read some of the commemorative signage which describes the natural history and Indigenous heritage of the place. Even though the place is now surrounded by suburbia, it is easy to imagine a time when this was a bush place valued as a ceremonial and camping place by traditional owners and visitors alike. This was another bountiful place for Noongar people, a place where they could camp near to fresh water, and cook their food. The late Frank Nannup emphasized that Lake Goegrup is very significant to Aboriginal people. There are
a lot of artefacts there … the stuff that they make spears out of and a lot of stones … a bit of a grinding stone … where the camps were. It’s laying everywhere … it gives the impression that the Aboriginal people were here in quite a few numbers for a number of years.
Nannup said that Lake Goegrup was traditionally owned by a mob called the Burragup people who, while closely related to the other family groups in the area, identified and had primary responsibility for this area, and ‘used to travel around the Barragup lakes which was where they lived.’
