On the 180th anniversary of the Pinjarra massacre, the Noongar community has opened a new cultural centre near where their ancestors were killed.

The 1.7 hectare site of the new precinct, south of Perth, was formerly an Aboriginal reserve.

A party led by Governor James Stirling headed towards Pinjarra in 1834, chasing the murderer of Private Nesbitt of the 21st Regiment.

They came across a group of between 70 to 80 Aboriginals near the Murray River and opened fire after one Indigenous man was identified as being among a group of offenders.

The witness extracts of Governor Stirling and Captain John Septimus Roe both stated there were around 15 men among the 20 plus killed.

Governor Stirling wrote at the time: "They were thus completely surrounded and overpowered."

Captain Roe noted in his field book: "After the first charge which killed four or five, the natives retreated to the river. In this dilemma they took to hiding themselves among the bushes and dead logs of the river banks, and were picked off by the party on either shore. In this way, between 15 and 20 were shot dead, very few wounded being suffered to escape."

Elders recount harrowing details

Senior elder Harry Nannup was born and grew up on the Pinjarra Station where the centre has now been built.

"Everyone thought of it as battleground, but there was no battle it was just plain murder," he said.

"Our people were cut down with high powered rifles."

Traditional owner Franklin Nannup said: "This was the biggest meeting place for Noongar people. Our mob led a resistance down here."

"But they came with guns and were used to killing with no resistance. They were shooting for nearly an hour and a half.

"According to our research, the river ran red that day with all our mob."

Two plaques at the memorial site have been vandalised over the last two years.

Harry Nannup attributed that to underlying tensions in the Pinjarra community between Indigenous and non-Indigenous.

"They were trying to protect their ancestors," he said.

"They didn't want their ancestors blamed for what went on here, but we wouldn't blame them."

Former governor John Sanderson planting a tree at the new Aboriginal cultural centre. ( ABC News: Laura Gartry )

Former governor of Western Australia Lieutenant General John Sanderson said it was unfortunate the plaque was removed.

"The last time I came here was for the launching of the memorial, the memorial that was essential to the community," he said.

"I'm delighted to see the plaque read the words that I spoke that day. Unfortunately the plaque is no longer there and that was my grave concern at the time.

"Hopefully in the fullness of time people will appreciate that event and the important to this region and the plaque will go back up."

Debate over the version of events formed the basis of a website and of a stage production called Bindjareb Pinjarra, which toured nationally in 2012.

A new beginning for site

The Murray Districts Aboriginal Association, first established in the 1970s, has worked in partnership with Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV) for more than three years to turn the derelict site into a cultural hub.

The $400,000 development was mostly raised by donations and grants, which included a charity concert by John Butler that raised nearly $30,000.

Traditional owner Karrie-Anne Kearing-Salmon said she hoped to bring new life to the precinct and for it to become a centre for local Noongar people to engage in community activities.

"The centre is for Noongar people to teach younger generations traditional culture and but also learn about life skills such as cooking and nutrition," she said.

"A lot of the cultural stuff is going and a lot of the older fellas don't pass it on because they don't think their kids want to learn it.

"But when they start to get know what's out there they more interested and then more people want to teach them about it."

With Murdoch University, the centre is running a chef's program targeting children's nutrition and the Bindjareb Yorga's Women's Health Program.

Editor's note, October 29, 2014: This story originally stated the centre was located on the site of the 1834 Pinjarra massacre. It has been changed to reflect that the centre is located near to, but not directly on, the site of the massacre.