Out-of-control bushfire damages historic Mogumber Mission, WA Wheatbelt crops

The leader of an Aboriginal corporation says he is "devastated" by bushfire damage to Aboriginal burial grounds and a century-old mission in Western Australia's Wheatbelt.

An out-of-control bushfire in Mogumber, 120 kilometres north of Perth, which burnt about 7,000 hectares, was downgraded to advice level late on Tuesday night.  

Authorities have reported that the blaze caused extensive damage to the area's historical buildings and crops.

'Sad time' for Aboriginal history

A Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said buildings of the Mogumber Mission had been destroyed by the bushfire. 

"Despite valiant efforts of career and volunteer crews, seven buildings were destroyed, including Mogumber Church," they said. 

"All buildings were uninhabited and had been vacant for several years.

"DFES has engaged a recovery group to support the Shire of Gingin and the local community." 

The historical Mogumber Mission, dating back to 1917, was a government-run institution where Aboriginal children, forcibly removed from their families, were taken.

It is listed on the Heritage Council website where it is described as "arguably the most important site in Western Australia representing the physical representation of government policies, social attitudes and racist theories towards Aboriginal people throughout the twentieth century".

Yued Aboriginal Corporation chief executive, Rewi Lyall, said its destruction was an "incredibly sad time" for the Yued traditional owners.

"The devastation of the mission and farmland is a deep blow [and] very heartfelt for everybody whose lives and families have a connection to that place," he said.

"It's a hard time, and it's even harder to know that the fire went through the cemetery there as well."

Mr Lyall said he was hopeful graves at the Mogumber Aboriginal Memorial cemetery would not be badly disturbed.

"The firefighters were very well aware of the significance of the cemetery and assured us that they were going to do everything they could to ensure that area was not disturbed … [but] without having a chance to survey the damage, it's difficult to say," he said.

While the Mogumber Mission has a deep connection to the Yued traditional owners and other Aboriginal communities across Western Australia, Mr Lyall said the broader landscape had been culturally significant for millennia.

"The river that runs through Mogumber, the Moore River, is a sacred site of many thousands of years' importance to the Yued people," he said.

"Yued camped along the river for generations. Children were born at places of particular significance along the river, including the vicinity of the mission."

'We couldn't stop it'

Mr Kowald and his family have been trying to establish a wheat and sheep farm on the banks of the Moore River for about four years, but the bushfire has caused significant damage to their land.

"This is supposed to be our first crop, and it's all gone now," he said.

"The wind changed [on Monday] and started blowing westerly, and the fire travelled east and got into the chicken farm and my farm."

Mr Kowald said firefighters did their best to save the chicken farm and olive farm, but he and his father could not save their crop.

"All the barley that was left standing is all gone, and when [the fire] jumped into our west end, all the pasture went up, and our only crop of barley and oats is all gone," he said.

"It's a grim situation, I'll put it like that. The firefighters are trying to keep spirits high, but it's hard to tell [how everyone is going]."

Tough conditions easing

Shire of Victoria Plains chief executive, Sean Fletcher, said there were moments during Monday's fire response when emergency crews had serious concerns.

"But because it was a cooler temperature overnight … that allowed those involved in fighting, certainly the Mogumber north fire, which has covered about 5,700 hectares, to get some rest.

"Because there's no wind today, we feel quietly [confident] that we have got ourselves into a much better position than yesterday."