Details

Latitude

-35.023889

Longitude

117.88444

Start Date

1873

End Date

1900

Layer Warning:

This layer contains historical information about Aboriginal people that may be distressing. It contains names of people who have also passed away.

John Knapp, along with a number of other Nyoongar men in a similar position were rounded up and taken to Esperance where they were found guilty and sentenced. There was no prison at Esperance, so they had to be taken to Albany to serve their sentence. At that time there was no road and no rail line from Esperance to Albany, travel was by ship, the men were taken on the cutter ‘Eve’. In Albany a special timber lined cell had been constructed to hold the Aboriginal prisoners because so many of them escaped. This left Lily and the other woman whose men had been shipped to Albany, lonely and in a very vulnerable position. They decided to walk to Albany to see their men, to hold vigil outside the jail. They walked, probably with their children, nearly 1000 round trip kilometres, before the road was constructed. They did it many times. When John was released, he and Lily walked back to Albany. Their love is celebrated by the children that were conceived and born on these epic walks. What brave strong women they were, they would have closely ancient trails, parts of which have become the Albany to Esperance section of the South Coastal Highway. 

Sources