Local Government
Karratha
Region
Pilbara
Forestier Islands
Vicinity of Balla Balla and Whim Creek, 26kms north of Whim Creek, 6 km from Balla Balla
Karratha
Pilbara
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 01 Sep 2013 | Category A | |
Depuch Island is of great cultural significance as a major cultural site for Ngarluma people and other Aboriginal people over a great geographic extent. The archaeological record of rock art represents one of the greatest concentrations of rock art in Australia. It has historical associations with key historical events, such as the 1842 visit of the H.M.S. Beagle. The significant social and scientific value of this cultural resource remains to be fully demonstrated.
Depuch Island is separated by 3 km of shallow water and mudflats from the mainland coast, which is a tangle of mangroves and mud. The whole island consists of a jumbled mass of great angular blocks of dolerite. There are a few small beaches on the southern and eastern sides and small patches of soil occur between the strewn rocks on the summit and in the upper parts of some of the valleys which deeply incise it. Depuch is 5 km long, 3 km wide and more or less oblong in shape. The highest point (Depuch Beacon) is 530 feet above low water and much of the island is over 300 feet above sea level.
The site is of great cultural importance to Ngarluma and other Aboriginal people. The island is a major focus for rock art.2 Depuch Island was first discovered by the French Commander Nicolas Baudin in the ship Geographe in July 1801. It was named after M Depuch, a geologist with the expedition. In 1842, the H.M.S. Beagle was the next vessel to visit Depuch, led by Captain Wickham. An engraving naming the vessel recalls their landing. Wickham reported some engravings, during "many an excursion over that dreary heap of desolation".3 It was a proposed site for a major port, before archaeological surveys in 1962 detailed the extensive rock art on the island and the island vested with the WA Museum. The site has also been the scene of several known shipwrecks. Sixteen known burials on the islands date to c.1912.
The island is a major Aboriginal site, with over 5,000 individual engravings recorded. Depuch Island has probably a greater concentration of Aboriginal engravings than any other place in Australia, comparable with the Burrup Peninsula. (See Registered Aboriginal Sites, DAA Site IDs: 11625, 6022, 6023, 6044, 11624, 11626 and 11627).
Rock engravings largely intact
Good
| Ref Number | Description |
|---|---|
| 14 | Municipal Inventory |
Other Aboriginal Site
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | OTHER | Other |
| Original Use | OTHER | Other |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Aboriginal Occupation |
This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.