Dampier Archipelago including Burrup Peninsula - National Heritage Listing

Statement of Significance

“The Dampier Archipelago (including the Burrup Peninsula) contains one of the densest concentrations of rock engravings in Australia with some sites containing thousands or tens of thousands of images. The rock engravings comprise images of avian, marine and terrestrial fauna, schematised human figures, figures with mixed human and animal characteristics and geometric designs. At a national level it has an exceptionally diverse and dynamic range of schematised human figures some of which are arranged in complex scenes. The fine execution and dynamic nature of the engravings, particularly some of the composite panels, exhibit a degree of creativity that is unusual in Australian rock engravings. The range of human images found in the Dampier Archipelago include forms characteristic of all the major style provinces in the Pilbara, an area that has been described as the richest and most exciting region of rock engravings in Australia. The different degrees of weathering and the large number of super-positioned engravings provide an outstanding opportunity to establish a relative chronology for motifs characteristic of the major style provinces in the Pilbara. The combination of archaeological sites and high densities of engraved images provides an outstanding opportunity to develop a scientific understanding of the social functions of motifs. The different degrees of weathering of particular types of faunal engravings on the Dampier Archipelago provide, in the national context, an unusual and outstanding visual record of the Aboriginal responses to the rise of sea levels at the end of the last Ice Age. The different degrees of weathering of some complex scenes provide exceptional visual evidence for the antiquity of depictions of complex scenes of human activity. The deeply weathered ‘archaic faces’ are an exceptional demonstration of the long history of contact and shared visual narratives between Aboriginal societies in the nominated place and inland arid Australia. There is a high density of stone arrangements within part of the nominated area, the Burrup Peninsula. They include standing stones, stone pits and more complex circular stone arrangements. Standing stones in the Dampier Archipelago range from single monoliths through to extensive alignments comprising at least three or four hundred standing stones. Some of these standing stones are associated with increase ceremonies, thalu, others were used to mark particular places with scarce resources, such as seasonal rock pools, and were also used to mark sites of traditional significance. The overall density of stone arrangements on the Burrup Peninsula, and the wide range of types of stone features found in the Dampier Archipelago, are exceptional by Australian standards.”6 In further detail the NHL Statement of Significance addresses the NHL criteria: Criterion A Events, Processes The engravings on the Dampier Archipelago include finely executed images of a wide range of terrestrial, avian and marine fauna many of which can be identified to genus or species level (Vinnicome 2002; McDonald and Veth 2005). Most of the engravings, particularly the images of marine fauna, are slightly or moderately weathered and were produced following the rise of sea levels about 8,000 years ago. There are a number of deeply weathered images of terrestrial fauna, particularly kangaroo, which date to the time when the sea was much lower (Lorblanchet 1992). The different degrees of weathering of particular types of faunal engravings on the Dampier Archipelago provide an outstanding visual record of the course of Australia’s cultural history through the Aboriginal responses to the rise of sea levels at the end of the last Ice Age. Criterion A Events, Processes There are a large number of deeply weathered, engraved ‘Archaic Faces’ in the Dampier Archipelago including some images that are unique to the area (McDonald and Veth 2005). ‘Archaic faces’ are widely distributed through arid Australia and are found in the Calvert ranges, the Cleland Hills, the Victoria River District, South Australia and Queensland (McDonald and Veth 2005). The ‘Archaic Faces’ on the Dampier Archipelago demonstrate the long history of contact and shared visual narratives between Aboriginal societies in the Dampier Archipelago and inland arid Australia and are exceptional in the course of Australia’s cultural history. Criterion B Rarity The Pilbara has been described as ‘… without doubt the richest and most exciting region of rock engravings in Australia’ McCarthy (1968: vi). It is the diversity of representations of the human form (anthropomorphs), many of which are in dynamic attitudes, and the way in which they are sometimes arranged in complex scenes that makes the Aboriginal engravings in the Pilbara exceptional. Although there are a number of distinct regional engraving styles in the Pilbara (Wright 1968), the greatest diversity in depictions of the human form, which also include representatives of human figures characteristic of the other Pilbara style provinces, occurs in the Dampier Archipelago (McDonald and Veth 2005: section 4.6). There are a number of complex panels showing groups of people engaged in both mundane and sacred activities, including hunting scenes, ceremonial activity and images of human figures climbing or hanging from lines. At a national level, the Dampier Archipelago is outstanding for its diversity of engraved human forms and the antiquity of depictions of complex scenes showing human activity, which are rare at the national level. Criterion B Rarity There is a very high density of rock engraving sites on the Dampier Archipelago. Although the majority of these sites contain relatively few engravings (Vinnicombe 1987a; Veth et al 1993;) there are some sites with hundreds (Virili 1977; Vinnicombe 1987a: Fig 6; Veth et al 1993: Fig 7.1), thousands (Dix 1977; Virili 1977; Vinnicombe 1987a) or tens of thousands of engravings (Lorblanchet 1992; Veth et al 1993). An analysis of site locations demonstrates that large concentrations of engravings in the Dampier Archipelago are found on inland plateaus, steep valley inclines bordering watercourses and on rock platforms next to the ocean (Vinnicombe 2002; McDonald and Veth 2005). The Dampier Archipelago contains concentrations of rock engravings, which when compared with other similar sites in Australia are rare (McNickel 1985; Wright 1968; Stanbury and Clegg 1990). Criterion B Rarity There is a high density of standing stones, stone pits and circular stone arrangements on the Burrup Peninsula (Veth et al 1993). The stone pits on the Burrup Peninsula have been interpreted as hunting hides and the standing stones may be either ceremonial sites (thalu sites), or markers for resources such as potable water. There is also a high diversity in the standing stones and stone arrangements across the Dampier Archipelago, including some with unusual components (Vinnicombe 1987a). The density of standing stones, stone pits and circular stone arrangements on the Burrup Peninsula, and the diversity of these stone features across the Dampier Archipelago are rare at the national level (Vinnicombe 1987a). Criterion C Research The distribution of engraved motifs across the Dampier Archipelago reflects economic and cultural variability (Green 1982; Vinnicombe 2002; Veth et al. 1993). Previous work on the Dampier Archipelago provides an outstanding demonstration of the way in which a detailed analysis of archaeological remains (middens, grinding patches, quarries) and associated rock engravings can contribute to an understanding of the cultural and economic meaning of the rock engravings (Lorblanchet 1992). The analysis demonstrated a close association between animal motifs and midden contents in one area of Skew Valley and the way in which some motifs (tracks) are placed in inconspicuous positions while other motifs (anthropomorphs) are publicly displayed. This work demonstrates that on the Dampier Archipelago, areas where archaeological remains are associated with large numbers of engravings have outstanding potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the nation’s cultural history. Criterion C Research 'Archaic Faces' occur on the Dampier Archipelago and are found in many parts of arid Australia (McDonald and Veth 2005; Dix 1977). The distribution of these engravings indicates there were shared representations across the area in the deep past. There is evidence that at the time of European contact Western Desert peoples were actively moving towards the coast (Tindale 1987). The 'Archaic Faces' in the Dampier Archipelago have outstanding potential to yield information contributing to an understanding of the long history of connections between the coast and the Western Desert. Criterion C Research The Dampier Archipelago contains engravings of human figures (anthropomorphs) characteristic of most of the major art provinces in the Pilbara as well as a number of forms unique to the area (McDonald and Veth 2005). It has the potential to become a key site for establishing the sequence of engraved motifs in the Pilbara, an area described as without doubt the richest and most exciting region of rock engravings in Australia (McCarthy 1968: vi). The different degrees of weathering and the large number of super-positioned engravings provides an outstanding opportunity to establish a relative chronology for motifs characteristic of the major style provinces in the Pilbara (Lorblanchet 1992; Vinnicombe 2002; McDonald and Veth 2005). Criterion D Principal characteristics of a class of places The rock engravings on the Dampier Archipelago include an extraordinarily diverse range of animal and human figures which are characteristic of regional styles that occur elsewhere in the Pilbara. Images of terrestrial and marine animals and birds in the Dampier Archipelago are similar to the range of images found at other coastal sites in the Pilbara such as Depuch Island and Port Hedland while the range of land animals is similar to those depicted in inland areas (cf Wright 1968; Ride et al 1964). A slightly simpler version of Kurangara figures, characteristic of the Upper Yule, is found in the Dampier Archipelago, only differing in the exaggeration of genitalia and intricacy of headdresses (McDonald and Veth 2005: Section 4.6). Similarly, a type of Minjiburu figure characteristic of Port Hedland also occurs in the Dampier Archipelago. Large birds or macropods with spears in their backs, images of turtles and hunting scenes characteristic of Sherlock Station and Depuch Island are found in the Dampier Archipelago, as are examples of stylised figures with exaggerated hands and feet, stylised stick figures with small human figures positioned under both arms. There are a number of images central to the style found on the Dampier Archipelago (McDonald and Veth 2005). They include: solid-bodied human figures with disconnected circular infilled heads and sinuous arm positions; profile figures with solid bodies and thin arms (often with an erect penis), occasionally positioned in rows; profile figures with the disconnected heads, grouped with each other or around a central line (as if climbing); groups of figures positioned beneath lines, as if hanging; the use of infilled circles to indicate joints (elbows, knees) or body parts (genitalia, stomachs, hands, feet); and therianthrops with various mixed human and animal characteristics, particularly lizard and bird. The Dampier Archipelago is outstanding as a place where engravings of human forms representative of all of the style provinces in the Pilbara, the richest and most exciting region of rock engravings in Australia, are found (McDonald and Veth 2005: Section 4; McCarthy 1968: vi). Criterion D Principal characteristics of a class of places Standing stones on the Dampier Archipelago range from single monoliths through to extensive alignments comprising at least three or four hundred standing stones (Vinnicombe 2002). While some standing stones are associated with increase ceremonies, thalu, others were used to mark particular places with scarce resources, such as seasonal rock pools, and were also used to mark sites of traditional significance. The standing stones in the Dampier Archipelago are outstanding in a national context for the number of purposes they are known to have served. Criterion F Creative or technical achievement The rock engravings in the Dampier Archipelago show exceptional creative diversity when compared with the other art provinces in the Pilbara or rock engravings elsewhere in Australia (McDonald and Veth 2005: Section 4.6). They include examples of the types of human figures characteristic of the other art provinces in the Pilbara as well as having unique human forms and figures indicating activity. The engravings on the Dampier Archipelago include detailed and finely executed examples of water birds, crabs, crayfish, kangaroos, turtles and fish, some of which, because of their detail, can be identified to species level. The finely executed animals identified to species level, the diversity of human forms and the panels of engravings showing scenes of human activity exhibit a high degree of creativity, particularly during the Holocene, that is unusual in Australian rock engravings.

Physical Description

“On the magnificent Dampier Archipelago in Western Australia, where the striking red earth of the Burrup Peninsula meets the blue Indian Ocean, rock engravings thought to number in the millions and other significant sites are helping us learn more about our Indigenous heritage. Made up of islands, reefs, shoals, channels and straits, and covering a land area of around 400 square kilometers, the Burrup Peninsula is 27 km long and four km wide. Many important native plants, animals and habitats are found in the area. The Archipelago was formed 6-8000 years ago when rising sea levels flooded what were once coastal plains. The underlying rocks are amongst the oldest on earth, formed in the Archaean period more than 2400 million years ago. Indigenous significance This is a sacred place, home to Indigenous Australians for tens of thousands of years. Ngarda-Ngarlie people say ancestral beings created the land during the Dreamtime, and the spirits of Ngkurr, Bardi and Gardi continue to live in the area. They have left their mark in features like the Marntawarrura, or 'black hills,' said to be stained from the blood of the creative beings. Australia's greatest collection of petroglyphs This place of beauty is also home to one of the most exciting collections of rock art in Australia. The richness and diversity of this art is remarkable, with sites ranging from small scatters to valleys with literally thousands of engravings. Sites types include quarries, middens, fish traps, rock shelters, ceremonial sites, artefact scatters, grinding patches, stone arrangements and engravings. Engravings are the most numerous type of site, with images potentially numbering in the millions. Large concentrations are found on inland plateaus, steep valley inclines bordering waterways and on rock platforms next to the ocean. Created by pecking, pounding, rubbing and scratching, the engravings provide a fascinating insight into the past. According to the Ngarda-Ngarli people the engravings have a variety of purposes. Some depict ancestral beings or spirit figures, while others relate to sacred ceremonies and songs. But many are representations of the everyday life or events of the traditional ancestors. Engravings show humans (single people, pairs and groups); human activities like hunting and climbing; and animals such as fish, crab, turtles, sharks, lizards, goannas, snakes and kangaroos. Some images show animals no longer found in the area - like emus - and others that are extinct, like the thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger. Some images are so finely detailed animals can be identified right down to species level. Stone sites There is also a high density of stone sites in the area, including standing stones, complex stone arrangements, fish traps, stone pits, hunting hides and stone cairns. Some of the standing stones are thought to have been built to mark important resources, such as waterholes, soaks and camping areas. Others are thalu sites, where Aboriginal people may have held ceremonies to increase natural species or phenomenon, such as rain. Artistic styles The rock art of the Dampier Archipelago illustrates the evolution of the societies, cultures and environment over time. The area contains a number of images found in places across the Pilbara, which shows connections over vast distances. Some of the Burrup Peninsula engravings, for example, are similar to those found in the Upper Yule, Port Hedland, Depuch Island, Calvert Ranges and Woodstock-Adydos. The deeply weathered 'archaic faces' of some engravings yield fascinating insights into long history of connections between the coast and the Western Desert. The art also shows creativity that is unusual in Australian rock engravings. The finely detailed animal imagery, as well as the diverse and dynamic human figures is outstanding. The Dampier Archipelago is home to the most ancient works created by man, as well as a multi-billion dollar resource industry. The Archipelago is located near significant reserves of natural gas, petroleum and iron ore resources. Industries have already invested in excess of $35 billion in developments, while trade to and from the Dampier Port reached 88.9 million tonnes for 2003-04, making Dampier the second largest tonnage port in the country. The area has also created thousands of jobs. A balance between heritage management and economic prosperity is being achieved through a collaborative partnership involving Indigenous groups, industry, governments and the community. Careful, long-term management of the Dampier Archipelago and Burrup Peninsula will see both our heritage and economy protected into the future, to the advantage of all Australians.” The following more detailed description can be found at the NHL database.4 General The Dampier Archipelago (including the Burrup Peninsula) is on the Indian Ocean coast of the west Pilbara region in north Western Australia, approximately 1,550km north of Perth. The Archipelago comprises 42 islands, islets and rocks that range from less than 2ha to 3,290ha in size and covers an area of approximately 400 km2. The Burrup Peninsula (which measures 27km long by 5km wide) was formerly Dampier Island - the largest in this island chain. Prior to industrial development and the building of road and rail infrastructure between Karratha and Dampier, it was separated from the mainland by tidal mudflats. The Dampier Archipelago is located north of the Tropic of Capricorn and is one of the major features of the Pilbara Onshore marine bioregion. The place is part of an inshore zone of a relatively expansive shelf region that includes the nearby Barrow Island/Montebello Island Group that are part of the neighbouring Pilbara Offshore bioregion. The north-western Australian shelf is of significant biological interest for its suspected high diversity and the relatively high numbers of endemic taxa. The Dampier Archipelago is a system of islands, rocky reefs, coral reefs, shoals, channels and straits. The area rises above a submarine plain and the seafloor has extensive limestone pavements and large sheets of shell gravel, sand and other sediments. The marine environment of the place is characterised by intertidal mud and sand flats associated with fringing mangals in bays and lagoons, a large tidal range, highly turbid water and the occurrence of fringing coral reefs around some of the islands. The Dampier Archipelago contains a diverse array of Aboriginal heritage including dreaming sites, ceremonial sites, rock engravings and archaeological sites. It is of exceptional heritage interest for its diverse array of rock engravings and stone arrangements and the importance of these within the Aboriginal traditions of Ngarda-Ngarli peoples. Formation of the Dampier Archipelago The Ngarda-Ngarli people of this region have traditional accounts of the formation of the Dampier Archipelago. For them, ancestral beings formed the landscape of the Dampier Archipelago in the Dreamtime and the spirits of these beings and other spirits such as Ngkurr, Bardi, and Gardi continue to live in the area (Mardudhunera Yaburara et al 2004). The ancestral beings left their mark on the landscape as natural features such as the Marntawarrura ("black hills") that are said to be stained from the blood of the creative beings, and in the form of some engraved images (Robinson in McDonald and Veth 2005: 73). Ngarda-Ngarli people say they have lived in this area since time immemorial (Mardudhunera Yaburara et al 2004). The islands of the Dampier Archipelago are an inundated coastal landmass that is essentially representative of the adjacent mainland. The archipelago was formed approximately 6,000 to 8,000 years ago when rising sea levels flooded what were once coastal plains. Prior to inundation the coastline ran the periphery of the area that is now the archipelago. A steep slope to the 30m contour that slopes away from the outer islands now represents the position of the palaeo-shoreline. Although the formation of the Dampier Archipelago is a relatively recent event, the underlying rocks are amongst the oldest on earth, formed in the Archaean more than 2,400 million years ago. The majority of the larger islands in the Dampier Archipelago are different geologically from other Pilbara offshore islands as they are made up of these Archaean volcanic rocks rather than Quarternary and Tertiary limestones. The underlying geology of the area was strongly influenced by volcanic events between 3,300 and 2,400 million years ago, with the rocks that now make up the Burrup Peninsula formed at the end of this period. The landscape within these areas is characterised by steep slopes and ridges with masses of apparently haphazardly distributed boulders, which are the result of ancient in situ weathering. Boulders vary markedly in size, from small to extremely large, and can be either rounded or angular. This variety in morphology is explained by differential jointing within the parent rock and variations in the amount of time that particular intrusions have been exposed to weather. There are two distinct geomorphologies represented on the islands. The first is Archaean rocks which outcrop on Dolphin, Tozer and Enderby Islands. It is these Precambrian granites that form the backbone of the Dampier Archipelago. Topographically, they resemble the adjacent mainland and the Burrup Peninsula. The second geomorphology is found on Legendre Island and other flatter islands and islets in the north of the archipelago. The outer islands consist primarily of younger Pleistocene or Holocene limestone and have fringing intertidal platforms and coral reefs, low elevations, lack the rock piles characteristic of the other islands and feature superficial sand dunes and beaches. These islands are the remnants of consolidated limestone ridges formed along the previous coastline. The terrestrial environment The terrestrial areas of the Dampier Archipelago support a diversity of flora from the Pilbara region. Approximately 32% of the flowering plant species known from the Pilbara region occurs on the islands. More than 288 plant species from 60 families have been recorded from the islands of the Dampier Archipelago. The Poaceae and Papilionaceae are particularly well represented. A total of 393 species of vascular plants have been recorded on the Burrup Peninsula representing 67 families and 184 genera. Over one hundred species of birds have been recorded in the Dampier Archipelago region, including both terrestrial species and sea and shore birds, some of which are migratory. At least ten terrestrial species, and fifteen sea and shore bird species, are known to breed on the islands and many more use the extensive mudflats, intertidal reefs and salt-marshes during their annual migration between Australia and south-east Asia. Many reptiles occur in the place with thirty-two species known from the Burrup Peninsula and forty-one species known from the islands of the Dampier Archipelago. The marine environment The diversity of marine fauna on the northern coastline of Western Australia is high and the northwest shelf marine region contains significant conservation value. The environmental values characteristic of the Dampier Archipelago reflect both the clear water communities of the Ningaloo Marine Park to the southwest and the more turbid waters of the Kimberley coast to the northeast. The Dampier Archipelago contains a wide variety of marine habitats, varying from exposed areas subject to high wave energies, clear water and low sedimentation rates in the seaward areas (such as the seaward reefs of Delambre, Legendre, Rosemary and Kendrew Islands), to sheltered habitats with turbid water in the coastal bays. The presence of islands and reefs reduces the ability of the Leeuwin Current and other broad scale regional currents to make any significant sustained incursions into the near shore zone. The marine plants and animals of the area are highly diverse and abundant as the warm tropical waters of the Dampier Archipelago provide an ideal habitat for marine life. The archipelago is rich in coral species, as a result of the wide variety of habitats found at the place. Coral growth in the inshore waters of the Dampier Archipelago is prolific, particularly on sublittoral rock slopes where species diversity is high, although there is no reef formation in these areas. The best reef development occurs on the seaward slopes of the outer archipelago where the fringing reefs form a deeply dissected reef front sloping to a reef edge zone, with a reef flat behind, shallow back reefs and an occasional lagoon. Surveys of the Dampier Archipelago between 1998 and 2002 indicated that the place is very rich in marine invertebrates, particularly echinoderms (286 species), molluscs (695 species) and sponges (275 species). The richest groups were the brittle-stars (Ophiuroidea) with 89 species, the sea-cucumbers (Holothruoidea) with 68 species, the starfish (Asteroidea) with 54 species, the sea-urchins (Echinoidea) with 39 species and the sea-lilies (Crinoidea) with 36 species. The extensive sand and mud flats support a rich invertebrate fauna, including bivalves, gastropods, crustaceans, worms, brachiopods, burrowing anemones, echinoderms. Crustaceans (particularly crabs) and bivalves (mainly Donax) and surface gastropods are typical of exposed beach situations. The low tidal limestone pavements include several xanthids, encrusting and erect sponges, polychaete worms, amphipods, fish, scattered corals, algae and a wide range of molluscs including bivalves, gastropods and chitons. Fauna typical of the extensive subtidal plains include a wide range of fish, particularly flatheads, flounders, catfish, eels and rays, echinoderms, polychaetes crustaceans, gastropods and bivalves. The marine flora includes both vascular plants and macroscopic algae and is as yet poorly known. Marine seagrasses recorded for the place include: Halophila ovalis, H. decipiens, H. spinulosa, H. ovata, Cymodocea angustata and Halodule uninervis. Seagrass beds, although not as well developed as in some other areas, provide important habitat for fauna particularly for dugongs. Macroscopic algae form a dominant component of the marine flora. The most common forms of algae include phaeophyceae such as Dictyopteris sps. Shoals of the outer archipelago contain the greatest diversity of species of algae. A total of 650 species of shallow water marine fish have been recorded within the Dampier Archipelago that includes a rich reef assemblage. Areas with the greatest topographic complexity have the most diverse and rich fish faunas. These areas are mostly those furthest away from the mainland such as the northern edge of Legendre Island where water turbidity is low and fish that favour off-shore conditions can also be found. Marine vertebrate fauna recorded for the place include at least seven species of mammals; the humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae, the false killer whale Pseudorca crassidens, the southern bottle nosed whale Hyperoodon planifrons, Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus, bottle nose dolphin Tursiops truncatus, Indo-Pacific hump backed dolphin Sousa chinensis, dugong Dugong dugong; six species of sea snakes: Aipysurus laevis, Astrotia stokesii, Ephalophis greyi, Hydrelaps darwiniensis, Hydrophis species and white bellied mangrove snake Fordonia leucobalia. The Dampier Archipelago is recognised as providing important habitat for marine turtles and four of the five species found in the area nest there. Large numbers of green turtles nest in the area, especially on the north-eastern shore of Legendre Island and the north-western beaches of Rosemary Island. Loggerheads also nest in the area although in lower numbers than the green turtles. The hawksbill nesting sites on beaches on Rosemary Island are of significance as the Western Australian population is the only large population remaining in the Indian Ocean. Flatback turtles only breed along the Australian coastline. Within the Dampier Archipelago, there are significant flatback turtle nesting sites on Rosemary, Delambre and Malus Islands. Mangals line over 50% of the mainland shoreline with the biggest blocks found at the mouths of the larger creeks and rivers and in sheltered bays. These mangals contribute significantly to the nutrient resources of the Pilbara coastal waters and are usually narrow bands of vegetation in sheltered locations where the substrate is muddy. A total of six species of mangroves have been recorded within the place. The white mangrove Avicennia marina and the red mangrove Rhizophora stylosa are the two most prominent species. Aboriginal environment The Ngarda-Ngarli people exploited the resources of both the terrestrial and marine environment of the Dampier Archipelago. The Dampier Archipelago contains very high densities of Aboriginal archaeological sites (McDonald and Veth 2005: 158; Vinnicombe 2002; Bednarik 2006). These include the remains of camp sites under small rock overhangs and in the open, shell middens, quarries, standing stones, stone arrangements, rock engravings and burials. It has been suggested that the density and diversity of sites is a result of large groups of Aboriginal people coming into the area at periods of high resource availability to exploit the area’s rich marine and terrestrial environments (McDonald and Veth 2006). The geology of the Dampier Archipelago does not provide large rock shelters and there are no deeply stratified sites with occupation extending back tens of thousands of years. Radiocarbon dates from excavations in the small rock overhangs and in middens provide clear evidence that Aboriginal people have lived in the area for at least 8,000 years (Bradshaw 1995). There is an earlier date of about 18,000 years ago from a piece of shell wedged between rocks in the southern part of the Burrup Peninsula (Lorblanchet 1992) but this is not a firm date for Aboriginal occupation because it is not directly associated with buried Aboriginal material. There is archaeological evidence of the pattern of human occupation on the Dampier Archipelago. The occurrence in the Dampier Archipelago of many grinding patches, often stained with silica glass, provides evidence for the grinding and consumption of grass seeds. Excavations in middens show that from the onset of maritime conditions between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago Aboriginal people had a marine focus that included use of the shellfish in the area (Bradshaw 1995; Lorblanchet 1992: 44; McDonald and Veth 2005: section 3.4.4). The archaeological evidence indicates that as mangrove forests developed with the rising sea levels, Aboriginal people relied on Terebralia palustris, a mangrove mollusc. With the development of extensive mudflats by about 4,000 years ago Aboriginal people switched to eating the bivalve Anadara granosa and other rocky shore species. The midden material also shows that Aboriginal people ate a wide range of terrestrial and marine animals such as kangaroo, euro, rock wallaby, flying fox, northern quoll, lizard, turtle, dugong, mangrove crab as well as fish and birds (McDonald and Veth 2005: 31) but there is no clear evidence for changes over time in preferences for these species. The range of species in the Aboriginal diet is partly reflected in the engravings of animals found on the Dampier Archipelago which include depictions of the euro, kangaroo, echidna, marine and terrestrial birds, turtles, fish (some of which can be identified to their genus or species level) and crustaceans. Aboriginal sites and engravings provide evidence for changing Aboriginal technologies during the last 8,000 years of Aboriginal occupation of the Dampier Archipelago. Prior to 3,500 years ago the stone tools found in campsites include scrapers, horsehoof (single platform) cores and retouched flakes (Lorblanchet 1978). Over the next 3,500 years microliths, tula adzes and slugs were added to the Aboriginal tool kit. The smaller tools would have been hafted rather than being held in the hand. The material for making many of the common tools was obtained from stone quarries in the Dampier Archipelago. Most of these are located in areas of fine-grained volcanic rock although coarser material was sometimes used opportunistically (McDonald and Veth 2005: 58). The smaller tools are made of exotic material imported into the Archipelago (McDonald and Veth 2005: 56). Although there are very few engraved images of Aboriginal material culture on the Dampier Archipelago, they show that spears were used (McDonald and Veth 2005: 119). The boomerang is the most commonly depicted item of material culture. These are very stereotyped and appear to illustrate their use as clap sticks (McDonald and Veth 2005: 119; Vinnicombe 2002: 19). There are also engravings of people using nets (McDonald and Veth 2005: 34). The Aboriginal occupants built a number of structures to help them catch fish and other prey including fish traps and hunting hides. Standing stones also occur, some of which are thought have been erected as markers for important resources such as water holes, soaks and camping areas. Other standing stones in the Dampier Archipelago are thalu, which are traditional sites where ceremonies were conducted to increase the natural species or phenomenon (e.g. rain) associated with the place. These sites normally comprise a standing stone with one or more smaller stones that are used as part of the ceremony (Vinnicombe 2002: 15, 33; Bednarik 2006). Engraved images of the species may also be part of these ceremonial sites. The most common Aboriginal sites in the Dampier Archipelago are the engravings. Ngarda-Ngarli people say that the rock engravings on the Dampier Archipelago images serve a variety of purposes. Some are interpreted as ancestral beings, others are interpreted as spirit figures or in relation to sacred ceremonies and rites of passage. Places with depictions of sacred ceremonies and rites of passage may be specifically for men or women, while others are open to all (Mardudhunera Yaburara et al 2004). Images are sometimes an element of increase sites for particular species. Ngarda-Ngarli relate some images to traditional songs and invocations learned during initiation or for use in hunting. As Palmer (1975a: 158) points out, there are spiritual songs for many animals in traditional law, which are sung in association with the engravings since the songs belong to the Dreamtime. Although many of the engravings have spiritual significance, others are interpreted as representations of everyday life or events (Mardudhunera Yaburara et al 2004). There are a wide variety of engraved motifs on the Dampier Archipelago. These include geometric designs, naturalistic depictions of animals, depictions of people, images of some items of material culture as well as depictions of human and animal tracks. Circles, concentric circles, lines and dots are common geometric motifs. Some of these are deeply weathered and probably belong to the earliest phases of rock engraving in the area (Lorblanchet 1992). Many of the species depicted in the engravings are found in the area today but there are some images of species that no longer occur in the area, such as emu tracks, or are extinct, such as the thylacine (McDonald and Veth 2005; Vinnicombe 2002). The diversity of engraved human figures on the Dampier Archipelago is outstanding (McDonald and Veth 2005: section 4.5; 2006; Vinnicombe 2002). These include stick figures, solid figures, a variety of profile figures and figures with decorated bodies, marked sexual characteristics, complex headdresses and other items of material culture. There are groups of figures shown copulating, climbing men, dancing men, and larger humans shown with very small figures positioned either side of their bodies. Figures with mixed human and animal characteristics (therianthrops) also occur. The engravings of the human form in the Dampier Archipelago are often dynamic rather than being static and crudely naturalistic, a characteristic that they share with other engravings styles in the Pilbara region. However, the Dampier Archipelago represents a unique style province within this region. McDonald and Veth (2005: 148-149) have identified the following anthropomorph designs as central to the Dampier Archipelago style:  Schematised stick figures (mostly male or ungendered);  Schematised stick figures with concentric arcs placed over the lower body;  Schematised stick figures with symbolically positioned boomerangs on either side of the body;  Schematised stick figures with a pair of dots positioned on either side of the head or body;  Solid-bodied anthropomorphs with disconnected circular infilled heads and sinuous arm positions;  Profile figures with solid bodies and thin arms (often with an erect penis), occasionally positioned in rows;  Profile figures with the disconnected heads, grouped with each other or around a central line (as if climbing);  Groups of figures positioned beneath lines, as if hanging;  Groups (generally long lines) of figures joined by the arms;  Complex groups of anthropomorphs which also incorporate other simple figurative motifs;  The use of infilled circles to indicate joints (elbows, knees) or body parts (genitalia, stomachs, hands, feet);  Therianthrops with various mixed animal characteristics, particularly lizard and bird;  Archaic faces are widely distributed – as are an embellished form unique to the Dampier Archipelago which have bodies, headdresses or therianthropic characteristics, produced in intaglio style. McDonald and Veth’s analysis (2005) also demonstrates that these motifs are not evenly distributed across the Dampier Archipelago. Art complexes across the Dampier Archipelago demonstrate internal cohesion and patterning as well as links to the rest of the Archipelago and to the broader western Pilbara region.

History

The following descripition can be found at the NHL database.5 Aboriginal people from this region identify themselves as Ngarda-Ngarli and say they have lived in this area since time immemorial, with the last tribe known as Yaburara (Mardudhunera Yaburara et al 2004). Archaeological studies demonstrate occupation in the Dampier Archipelago, which includes the Burrup Peninsula, for at least 8,000 years. During this time the Ngarda-Ngarli people have adapted to significant changes including changes to the environment, sea levels and climate (Department of Environment and Conservation 2006:13). The Ngarda-Ngarli people also actively managed the land (Mardudhunera Yaburara et al 2004). This is shown by features in the landscape, including thalu or increase sites, which are used to manage a range of natural resources. Sir William Dampier was the first European to visit the archipelago that is now named after him. He landed on Rosemary Island but didn’t encounter any Aboriginal people. In 1818, the British Admiralty sent Captain Phillip Parker King to search for rivers and fresh water on the West Coast of Australia. He landed in the Dampier Archipelago and had a number of meetings with Aboriginal people. He recorded information on their use of logs as canoes and their humpies. While most of his encounters were friendly, he did not attempt to land on a second island because the occupants gestured for him not to (King 1826: 33-36). In 1861 Francis T Gregory undertook the first European exploration of the Pilbara region. He landed on the coast and followed the Fortescue River before turning to the south-west and following the Harding River. He returned to the coast and then undertook another journey to the east and north of the previous track. Gregory returned with his party on 17 October 1861 having discovered some excellent country. A return was made by sea to Perth which was reached on 9 November 1861. Gregory estimated that there were two or three million acres of land in the area suitable for grazing, and he drew attention to the possibilities of a pearling industry. As a result of Gregory’s reports Walter Padbury landed at the mouth of the Harding River in 1863 (Australian Heritage Commission 2001). He brought with him a party of settlers and some stock. A port was established at the Mouth of the Harding River. It was originally named Tien Tsin after the barque which carried Padbury and his party. The town was also later referred to as Port Walcott, North District and Landing. In December 1871, after a visit by Western Australian Governor Weld on the HMS Cossack, the town was renamed Cossack. As the first port in the North West, Cossack provided a vital point of access for the settlement and development of the Pilbara region. Pearling and shore-based whaling industries were established in the area in the 1860s and 1870s (Australian Heritage Commission 1978a, 1978b). These industries attracted a diverse work force including Aboriginals, Chinese, Malays, Filipinos and Japanese. While Cossack was the main port for the pearling industry, the fleet also established a small station at Blackhawk Bay on Gidley Island (Australian Heritage Commission 1978 b). Shore-based whaling, which lasted for almost a decade, was established on Malus Island in 1870 (Gibbs 1994; Australian Heritage Commission 1978b). Gold was discovered in the Pilbara in the 1870s. Aboriginal people of the area played a significant role in both the pearling and pastoral industries. However, the development of these industries, and the shore-based whaling industry, began the process of Aboriginal dispossession in the area. In 1868, Constable Griffis arrested an Aboriginal man, Coolyerberri, for stealing flour although there are also suggestions that Griffis had earlier abducted Coolyeberri’s wife. Griffis and two companions were killed when Coolyerberri was rescued by a group of Aboriginals. The Government Resident responded by swearing in nineteen special constables who, over several days, attacked the Aboriginal camps on the Burrup Peninsula and islands to the north of the peninsula (Gara 1993, Bednarik 2006). Records vary, but indicate that between five and forty Yaburara men, women and children were killed during what has become known as the Flying Foam Massacre (Gara 1993). This devastated the Yaburara population. The harbour at Cossack, Butcher's Inlet, could only cater for ships up to 200 tons, and could only be safely negotiated at high tide. As a result the pearling industry relocated to Broome in the early 1890s. The gold rush also slowed in the early 1900s. The need for a deep-water port to serve the Pilbara remained an important issue. Depuch Island was an early candidate, with the first serious scheme for a railway between Marble Bar and the coast being raised in 1908. There was no progress on developing a port until the 1960s when Depuch Island again was considered. However, it was concluded that because of the Island’s exceptional Aboriginal heritage the port should be built elsewhere (McDonald and Veth 2005:160; Vinnicombe 2002: 6; Bednarik 2006:25). In 1963 the Western Australian Government and Hamersley Iron entered into an agreement to develop the Tom Price mine and the town and port of Dampier. The town was completed by 1966. In 1978, the Burrup Peninsula was chosen as the site for a treatment plant for offshore gas deposits on the North-West Shelf. Following an Environmental Impact Assessment, Withnell and King Bays were recommended for the development. A programme to salvage information on Aboriginal heritage in the area began in 1980 (McDonald and Veth 2005: 162). At this same time, the Clough report on port and land planning on the Burrup Peninsula was prepared and concluded that there was no serious conflict between industrial needs and conservation requirements (McDonald and Veth 2005: 162). Although a report was prepared by Bruce Wright identifying the Dampier Archipelago as a major archaeological resource with high scientific value and specifying the need for consultation with Aboriginal people (Department of Aboriginal Sites 1980) the Western Australian government adopted the Clough report as a guideline for future development on the Burrup Peninsula. Throughout the nineties and into the new millennium there were numerous ongoing developments that have resulted in additional large and small-scale survey work on the Burrup Peninsula. During this time three native title claims were registered that included parts of the Dampier Archipelago. In 2002 the Western Australian Government entered into the Burrup and Maitland Industrial Estates Agreement Implementation Deed (the Agreement) with the three native title claimant groups. This Agreement enabled the State Government to compulsorily acquire any native title rights and interests in the area of the Burrup Peninsula and other parcels of land near Karratha. The Agreement also included a range of economic and community benefits for the Ngarluma Yindjibarndi, Wong-Goo-Tt-Oo and Yaburara Mardudhunera peoples, including education, training and a stake in future land developments (Department of Premier and Cabinet 2005). The Agreement also provided for the parts of the non-industrial land of the Burrup Peninsula to be returned as freehold title to Ngarda-Ngarli, and for this area to become a Conservation Reserve jointly managed with the Department of Environment Conservation (Department of Environment Conservation 2006).

Archaeology

See Physical Description

Integrity/Authenticity

Varies according to development activities from intact to destroyed. The NHL listing states: “Parts of the area, particularly the Burrup Peninsula, East Intercourse Island and Mid East Intercourse Island, have been subject to industrial development and other impacts such as the construction of towns and work camps. A land use impact assessment, undertaken using aerial photographs from August 2004, estimates that high levels of impact have occurred on 1,643 hectares (or 16.4 square kilometres) on the Burrup Peninsula (McDonald and Veth 2006). A high level of impact in these areas on the Burrup Peninsula has resulted in the destruction of archaeological material and in some cases the relocation of engravings and other stone features. Despite this, the natural and cultural heritage in Dampier Archipelago and its surrounding waters is in good condition.”

Uses

Creation Date

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