Burrup rock art restored
Looking on at the 1700 pieces of ancient Aboriginal rock art that spent three decades in exile, elder Keith Churnside breathed a sigh of relief.
The boulders, which contain highly significant engravings, were dumped in a Pilbara compound in the early 1980s to make way for the Woodside-operated North West Shelf LNG joint venture.
The relocation of the artworks to a nearby ridge, where they again form part of the world-famous Burrup Peninsula outdoor rock art collection, was completed last month.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Peter Collier yesterday toured the restoration project with Aboriginal elders, some of whom provided cultural direction and advice throughout the relocation process.
Mr Collier said the remediation and relocation of the boulders, which was undertaken by Woodside, was an opportunity to ensure the cultural history of local Aboriginal people was appropriately managed.
"These boulders were trucked from their original locations about 30 years ago - some ended up face down in the dirt and little thought was given to their cultural significance," he said.
Mr Churnside, of the Pilbara's Ngarluma people, said the relocation of the artworks to where they belonged was significant.
