Location: Swan River and northern and eastern tributaries inland to beyond Mount Helena; at Kalamunda, Armadale, Victoria Plains, south of Toodyay, and western vicinity of York; at Perth; south along coast to near Pinjarra. An aged survivor, named Ngepal, of a horde of the tribe living between Perth and Toodyay was met in northwestern Australia in 1953; he had lived a long time in the Hall Creek area and had been in trouble with the law in his youth. He used the term ['Witja:ri] as name for his tribe. According to him the word [i:'wet] = [i:'wat] means 'no' in the northern dialect but at Perth the word is ['jaruka]. In earlier writings ['wada], ['whad], and ['juad] have been suggested for this word. Whether Witjari or Whadjuk is used, there is every reason to suspect that the word for the negative is a basis for the tribal name.
Co-ordinates: 116°5'E x 32°0'S
Area: 2,600 sq. m. (6,800 sq. km.)
References: Lyon, 1833; Grey, 1839; Clark, 1842; Symmons, 1842; Parker, Scott, Whitfield, Knight, Goldsworthy, Hackett, Morgan, et al. in Curr, 1886; Mathews, 1908 (Gr. 6556), 1910 (Gr. 6516); Giglioli, 1911; Bates, 1915; Hassell, 1936; Tindale, 1940, 1953 MS, 1963, 1966 MS; Australian Encylcopedia, 1958.
Alternative Names: Wadjuk, Wadjug, Whajook (['whad] = ['wada] = ['juad] = [i:wat] = no), Witja:ri, Wadjup (name of the flats of the Canning River), Juadjuk, Yooard, Yooadda, Minalnjunga: (Juat term ['minang] = south, ['njunga:] = man), Minnal Yungar, Derbal (a name for general locality of Perth), Karakata (a name for Perth), Caractterup tribe, Karrakatta (bank of Swan River at Perth), Ilakuri wongi (name applied to language).