Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation

What Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation does

Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit Prescribed Body Corporate registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act) with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC). Incorporated on 5 October 2021, the Corporation is the statutory representative body for Whadjuk Noongar Traditional Owners under the South West Native Title Settlement — the largest native title settlement in Australian history, covering approximately 200,000 square kilometres and affecting an estimated 30,000 Noongar people. The Whadjuk region specifically encompasses the Perth metropolitan area. The Corporation operates from an office at Perth Airport (Suite 1A, Bravo Building) with a workforce that reached approximately 10–15 staff as of October 2025, the largest in its history.

The Corporation delivers an integrated portfolio of core services: an internalised Heritage Team conducting cultural heritage surveys, assessments, consultation and monitoring (replacing the previous external provider SWALS in July 2025); Lands Management for native title rights and interests over Whadjuk lands and waters; membership administration including Certificates of Aboriginality; a Managed Ranger Program supported by WA Government grants; Cultural Advice Committee governance; Noongar language and cultural engagement programs; and the Whadjuk Providers Directory of cultural services. Underlying technology is conventional GIS and spatial analysis (ESRI, QGIS, FME) used to map and protect heritage sites. Strategic partnerships with universities (UWA, Murdoch) and Maori iwi (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāi Tahu) support knowledge transfer, particularly around economic development models.

The business model is a hybrid of statutory government funding and professional services fees. The Corporation is the beneficiary of annual settlement funding of $10 million per year for 12 years from the Western Australian Government (one of six Regional Corporations under the Settlement, alongside $50 million per year flowing to the Noongar Boodja Trust and up to 320,000 hectares of land held by that trust). It also earns fee revenue from heritage service delivery to government departments (DBCA, Water Corporation, Fremantle Ports), Local Government Authorities, and private proponents required to engage the Corporation under the Noongar Standard Heritage Agreement. Membership grew from 410 in 2022 to over 750 in 2025.

Name

Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation

Legal name

Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation

Website

https://whadjuknoongar.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation is the statutory Prescribed Body Corporate representing Whadjuk Noongar Traditional Owners in the Perth metropolitan area under Australia's largest native title settlement. It delivers heritage services, lands management, ranger programs, and cultural programs to a membership of 750+ Traditional Owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Cultural Heritage and Native Title Services

NAICS

American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (921150)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH)

Keywords

• Native title management
• Cultural heritage services
• Indigenous land management
• Aboriginal community services
• Heritage assessment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Applecross

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. South West Native Title Settlement Funding: The Noongar Boodja Trust receives yearly instalments of $50 million for 12 years from the WA Government. Six Noongar Regional Corporations receive funding support of $10 million per year for 12 years, plus $6.5 million for office establishment. The Corporation manages these funds for the benefit of Whadjuk members.
2. Heritage Services: Internal Heritage Team delivers heritage services, assessments, and monitoring activities on behalf of Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation, replacing previous external provider arrangements.
3. Noongar Land Estate: Up to 320,000 hectares of development and cultural land to be held by the Noongar Boodja Trust, with land access for customary activities.
4. Aboriginal Ranger Program: $150,000 awarded in Round 7 of the WA Aboriginal Ranger Program to assist Whadjuk Managed Ranger Program in caring for land on Whadjuk Country.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit Prescribed Body Corporate that manages native title rights, cultural heritage, and community wellbeing for the Whadjuk Noongar people under the South West Native Title Settlement. It delivers heritage surveys and assessments, lands management, ranger programs, membership administration, and cultural engagement programs including Noongar language initiatives.

Product overview

Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation operates as a single, unified organization providing integrated services to the Whadjuk Noongar community under the South West Native Title Settlement. The corporation delivers core services including heritage management (through an internal heritage team), lands management, membership administration, and ranger programs. Governance is supported by a Cultural Advice Committee (CAC) and a Board of Directors. The organization also runs cultural engagement programs including Noongar language initiatives and maintains a providers directory for cultural services. All services operate under the Whadjuk Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heritage Services Internal heritage team delivering Aboriginal cultural heritage surveys, assessments, consultation, and works monitoring across the Whadjuk ILUA region for government departments, local government authorities, developers, and proponents.
• Lands Management Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Historic workforce growth reached with largest team in Corporation's history
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2021SWALS acts as the Central Services Corporation (CSC) to the six Noongar regional corporations including Whadjuk. The NCC (Noongar Corporations Committee) is made up of CEO and chair of the six regional corporations plus SWALSC. However, WAC has terminated SWALS as their heritage service provider effective July 2025.
• Noongar Boodja TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerpetual trust established under the South West Native Title Settlement receiving $50 million yearly instalments for 12 years. Manages the Noongar Land Estate of up to 320,000 hectares.
• Waikato-TainuimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMāori tribal group engaged during Aotearoa delegation. Has grown from approximately NZ$170 million settlement to approximately NZ$2.4 billion asset base over 25-30 years. Providing mentorship and strategic guidance to Whadjuk Corporation.
• Ngāi TahumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMāori tribal group engaged during Aotearoa delegation. Has grown from approximately NZ$170 million settlement to approximately NZ$2.1 billion asset base over 25-30 years. Providing mentorship and strategic guidance to Whadjuk Corporation.
• Coastal ConnectionssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Whadjuk Sea Country Day event, facilitated drafting process and co-design of Whadjuk ILUA Sea Country Statement integrating traditional knowledge systems with policy and planning strategies.
• Murdoch UniversitysupportingTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partner involved in Whadjuk Sea Country Day educational event for teaching children about sea country and marine life.
• University of Western Australia (UWA)supportingTechnology or IntegrationUWA Oceans Institute (Dr. Abbie Rogers and Dr. Matt Navarro) provided scientific and ecological insights to strengthen Whadjuk Sea Country Statement's environmental and resilience vision.
• Umanity GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the Whadjuk Sea Country Statement project through strategic, legal, and logistical assistance to empower Whadjuk-led governance.
• Fremantle Surf Life Saving ClubsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner facilitating Whadjuk Sea Country Day event.
• Fremantle PortscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Marine Quality Monitoring Program where Whadjuk provides a ranger or student to assist in annual marine quality operations across Inner Harbour and Outer Harbour operations. Paid opportunity in partnership with the Corporation.
• Western Australian GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner in South West Native Title Settlement providing $50 million per year to Noongar Boodja Trust and $10 million per year support to regional corporations. Party to ILUA agreements.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar Aboriginal Corporation: Sixth Noongar regional PBC under the Settlement. Comparable mandate (native title, heritage, lands management) with the same long-term funding stream from the WA Government.
• Yued Aboriginal Corporation: One of the six Noongar regional PBCs established under the same South West Native Title Settlement, covering a different ILUA area. Operates an identical funding model ($10M/yr for 12 years) and mandate, making it the most direct structural peer to Whadjuk.
• South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC): The Central Services Corporation for the six Noongar regional corporations under the South West Native Title Settlement. Directly comparable to Whadjuk as the umbrella Indigenous body delivering native title and heritage outcomes across the same region; Whadjuk has just insourced heritage work that SWALSC previously delivered.
• Ngāi Tahu: New Zealand Māori iwi that has grown from a ~NZ$170M settlement to a ~NZ$2.1B asset base. Like Waikato-Tainui, an explicit mentor to Whadjuk and a directly comparable settlement/asset-building model.
• Waikato-Tainui: New Zealand Māori iwi that has scaled from a ~NZ$170M settlement to a ~NZ$2.4B asset base over 25-30 years. Explicitly engaged as a mentor to Whadjuk, making it the most relevant peer for asset-building and economic development trajectory.
• Gnaala Karla Boodja Aboriginal Corporation: Another of the six Noongar regional PBCs under the same Settlement. Sister organisation to Whadjuk with the same funding structure, governance model, and heritage/native title mandate across its own ILUA region.
• Ballardong Aboriginal Corporation: One of the six Noongar regional PBCs under the South West Native Title Settlement. Direct structural peer operating with the same funding arrangement and member-driven governance framework.

Regional players

• Kimberley Land Council: WA-based Aboriginal land council serving the Kimberley region with native title, cultural heritage, and ranger programs. Strongly comparable in service mix (heritage, ranger, lands) but covers a different WA geography than Whadjuk.

Broad incumbents

• Northern Land Council: Large, established Aboriginal land council in the Northern Territory with native title and heritage responsibilities across a much larger jurisdiction. Comparable mandate but broader geographic and operational scope than Whadjuk.
• Torres Strait Regional Authority: Federal statutory authority representing Torres Strait Islander peoples with a comparable representative, cultural, and economic development mandate. Broader in scope and federally constituted versus Whadjuk's CATSI-Act PBC status.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whadjuk-aboriginal-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation