Investigating Aboriginal Heritage
Sacred Places: Recognising the Value of Aboriginal Heritage" in Heritage NSW
October 1998, vol 5, no.3
Formal acknowledgement of the role of the Heritage Act in relation to Aboriginal
heritage was strengthened in 1996 with Minister Craig Knowles, announcement that
the State Government would broaden its heritage brief to include items of significance
to the Aboriginal people. Defining Aboriginal heritage has been the first step in that
process.
The immense spiritual attachment to the land that Aboriginal people hold is the
cornerstone of Aboriginal heritage. Engraving sites, midden deposits, axe sharpening
grooves and stone tools as well as natural features such as mountains and creeks are
just some of the items being defined as having Aboriginal cultural heritage
significance. Other more contemporary sites such as Aboriginal missions and
contemporary buildings of cultural importance are also being included. But Aboriginal
heritage doesn't end in physical places or items. The culture and customs of Aboriginal
peoples, most strongly evoked through the traditions of story-telling, initiation rites
and other ceremonies, are also being painstakingly recorded and catalogued.
As Evelyn Crawford sees it, the important steps in the process have been practical
initiatives by the State Government to assist Aboriginal people to manage their own
heritage. "We now have myself as a member of the Heritage Council, Vince Scarcella
as a specialist officer at the Heritage Office and an Aboriginal Heritage committee
made up of community members to advise the Government", she said.
"As well as this, local Aboriginal communities are receiving grants through the
Heritage Assistance Program for conservation projects on a scale which has never
been seen before".
Vince agrees. "To date, 68 local and regional Aboriginal heritage studies have been funded
through the Heritage Assistance Program alone. These studies are a vital way of involving the
local community in the protection, management and future use of items of Aboriginal heritage.
They also provide a link between the community and local government so that Aboriginal people
are included in any planning decisions at a local level regarding their heritage."
Vince points out that the Heritage Assistance Program has also funded over 200
conservation projects.
• Kurnell Peninsula Study & Conservation – the recording of 30 archaeological sites
and three stone artefacts and work on conserving and interpreting the sites in
consultation with the local Aboriginal community;
• Cobar Aboriginal Sites Management – Training in rock art conservation for local
people and other management techniques for four rock art complexes: Mount
Gunderbooka, Neckarboo, Mount Manara and Wuntergoona;
• Moonacullah Mission Cemetery Study – Conservation and protection of the
cemetery site including fencing, revegetation and oral history recordings to name
unmarked graves;
• Aboriginal Carved Tree Conservation Study – Of the 700-1000 carved trees located
throughout New South Wales in 1945, only 74 now exist, with their loss attributable to
agricultural expansion, bushfires and natural decay. The study established a
conservation and monitoring program for the remaining trees;
• Wallaga Lake Oral History Project - Recordings of the oral histories of the Wallaga
Lake people to hand down to future generations and assist in the management of
local Aboriginal sites.
Evelyn Maher is positive about the future of Aboriginal heritage conservation. ‘I really
do feel there is a commitment by the government and out there in the community to
recognise the worth of Aboriginal heritage and this is a reflection of the wider process
of reconciliation’.
Who is responsible for Aboriginal Heritage?
Aboriginal people are the cultural owners and managers of information relating to their
heritage.
Information relating to Aboriginal history and heritage provided by members of any
Aboriginal community must be treated with respect for the informant, and any
agreement regarding access and/or confidentiality should be honored.
reproduced with permission of the NSW Heritage Office