Once Known
This unique Collection of art was lost overseas for more than 50 years, these artworks returned home to Noongar Boodja in 2013, offering a powerful opportunity to share truth and learn about the lived experiences of these children. While hundreds of children were detained at Carrolup, only 17 of the artists have been attributed to works in the collection. Once Known reminds us that each child had a name, a family and a story. These works stand as a testament to the creativity and resilience of the Carrolup children, offering a glimpse into their enduring connection to Country.
Exhibition Details
Once Known is now open until June 30 2026!
Currently on display
11am – 4pm
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
Closed Wednesdays and Weekends
Free entry, open to the public
Lotterywest Boorloo Heritage Festival
Please note Once Known will be closed from Friday 3 April to Tuesday 7 April.
Truth Talk: Truth Telling in the Academy
Dr. Hannah McGlade and Dr. Carol Dowling will present an overview of the 2026 Australian Human Rights Commission inquiry examining racism in universities. As the foreword to the report notes, “Many universities were established as colonial institutions… They were built upon a foundation of racism and systemic exclusion, starting with the First Peoples of this land”. Thursday 16 April 2026.
Kaya Boodja! Sensory Play Drop-In Sessions
Children and families are invited to enjoy a free drop-in sensory play experience inspired by Noongar Country. Each weekday in April 11am – 3pm.
Truth Talk: Telling Our Truth
In this talk, Whadjuk Balladong Wilman Yorga, Carrolup Curator JCG, Zali Morgan considers how truth can be held and communicated through art, exhibition-making, and institutional responsibility. Thursday 23 April 10am – 11am.
Once Known Exhibition Tours
Showing at the Old Perth Boys’ School, Once Known presents reproductions of the delicate and culturally significant artworks created by Aboriginal children forcibly taken from their families and detained at the Carrolup Native Settlement in the 1940s. Tuesdays and Fridays in April 10am – 11am.
Motifs of Country: Children’s Badge Making Workshop
Set within the beautiful and thought-provoking surrounds of the Once Known exhibition at the Old Perth Boys’ School, this nature inspired badge making workshop is suitable for children 6 years and older. Friday 17 April Session 1: 11:00am – 12:00pm, Session 2: 12:00pm – 1:00pm.
Opened for the first time at the Old Perth Boys’ School, Once Known showcases reproductions of the fragile artworks created by Aboriginal children forcibly taken from their families and detained at the Carrolup Native Settlement in the 1940s.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware the exhibition and catalogue contains images, voices and names of people who have died. It also contains information that might be confronting and may cause distress.
The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artworks were generously donated for educational and research purposes by Colgate University, New York, USA to the Curtin University Art Collection, 2013.
Header Image: Once known child artist, The Kill, 1946-50, paHeader Image: Once known child artist, The Kill, 1946-50, pastel and charcoal on paper. 27.9 x 38cm.
