Waljen facts for kids

The Waljen are an Indigenous group from Western Australia. They traditionally lived in the Goldfields-Esperance area.

Their Traditional Lands

The Waljen people lived on a large area of land. This land was about 6,000 square miles (15,500 square kilometers). It included places like Lake Raeside, Malcolm, Morgans, Laverton, and Burtville. Their land also reached towards Edjudina Soaks in the southeast. They were also found near Lake Lightfoot and Lake Carey. To the east, their territory went beyond Lake Minigwal. The Waljen also have stories about an important place called Winbalj.

A Look at Waljen History

Towards the end of the 1800s, the Waljen people began to move. They shifted southwestward. By the 1890s, they had reached the area south of Kalgoorlie.

Other Names for the Waljen

Sometimes, the Waljen people were known by other names:

• Koara.
• Wonggai-juŋara. This name means 'aggressive men' or 'usurpers'. It was an exonym (a name given by another group) used by the Maduwongga and Kalamaia peoples.