Aboriginal Elders Say Quarry Will Destroy Sacred Sites
Perth Aboriginal Elders and Nyoongar Elders say the German quarrying firm Hanson Construction recently filed an application with the Department of Indigenous Affairs seeking approval to destroy cultural heritage sites.
Aboriginal Elders fear the blasting will endanger sacred stones, fragile plants and animals central to their culture. The quarrying will contaminate their water flowing from a brook that feeds into the Swan River.
The site complex at Red Hill in the Darling Range includes petroglyphs, ceremonial sites, grinding stones and ochre deposits used in spiritual practices. Of special interest is the Guardian Ancestral Owl Stone. You can learn more at Perth Independent Media.
For more information please visit the Susannah Valley website.
Petrochemical development has been threatening other sacred sites in Australia. The Dampier Rock Art, Burrup Peninsula located in Murujaga, Australia was included on the Sacred Sites International 2005 Most Endangered List. The site was again listed on the SSIF 2008 List of Sites because it is still highly endangered.