Depuch rock art listing ‘difficult’: Minister

DEPUCH Island is unlikely to be included in the World Heritage Listing nomination of the Burrup rock art despite its international comparison to prehistoric cave art in Europe.
Uluru’s ‘dark sister’ 3km off the Balla Balla coast near Whim Creek also hosts a rich European maritime heritage including rock inscriptions left by the crew of HMS Beagle in 1840.
In the early 1960s, Australian and overseas scientists convinced State authorities not to industrialise the Balla Balla coast because of the extraordinary rock art at Depuch, just 90km east of the Burrup where the WA Government, ironically, decided to shift its deepwater export facility.
Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said preparation of the Burrup ‘Murujuga’ World Heritage List nomination is underway, but the proposed boundary, “has not yet been decided”.
The deputy leader of the Legislative Council told StreetWise, which visited Depuch Island in July, the boundary will be determined after further assessment of areas where there is, “potential ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ that can be adequately protected, conserved and managed. This will be finalised as the preparation of the nomination dossier progresses, and through extensive consultation with the Murujuga traditional owners and stakeholders”.
Responding to questions from StreetWise, Mr Dawson said the boundary of the Burrup national heritage area will be used as, “the starting point for these discussions”. He added: “The values of Depuch Island could be considered as part of this process, however, as the island is more than 90km from Murujuga, it may be difficult to justify in the nomination how it could be effectively managed as part of the World Heritage area.”
Mr Dawson said Depuch Island is vested as a Class A Crown reserve for the purpose of preservation of native art. As a registered Aboriginal Heritage site, it is afforded protection under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972: “I understand Depuch Island is of great cultural significance to the traditional owners, the Ngarluma People, and contains one of the highest concentrations of rock art in Australia. The McGowan Government is committed to the protection of the State’s Aboriginal and archaeological sites, recognising these are a vital part of Western Australia’s, and indeed Australia’s, cultural heritage.”
In a repeat of history, NZ company Todd Corporation has proposed to revive the Balla Balla port plans after the McGowan Government ratified in 2017 a State Agreement to build a 62km rail line from inland mines to the coast.
Mr Dawson said the $6 billion Balla Balla Infrastructure Project, “will facilitate significant positive economic and employment benefits for the WA economy. I am advised it has the full support of the traditional owners who hold native title over the project land. Depuch Island is not within the proposed development area, and the proposed port facility has environmental approvals in place”.

Depuch worthy
Instrumental in the Burrup listing, Australian archaeologist Robert Badnarik told StreetWise: “It would be much easier to submit (Depuch Island) to the World Heritage Listing than the badly compromised Dampier sites. There are no coastal rock art areas south of Kimberley worthy of consideration for WHL, but there are great inland areas in the Pilbara worthy of nomination.”
He said at Murujuga, 24 per cent of the rock art had been destroyed since 1965: “There is a planned harbour development near Depuch, which was never raised with the Dampier issues.”
Dr Bedranik identified most of the rock art at Burrup in the 1960s, having recorded 572 sites and conducted the campaign from 2002 to 2014 to preserve the Dampier works. He says much of the rock art immediately adjacent to existing industry has slowly deteriorated.
Greens (WA) MLC for mining and pastoral Robin Chapple has told StreetWise Depuch would meet at least one of the criterion needed to include it on the world list of special places: “Only one criterion is required for World Heritage listing. There would be no mention of Depuch in the Burrup World Heritage listing or indeed the earlier serial listings … because it has never been considered by the WA Museum, International Council on Monuments and Sites or any other body. I’m not saying that it shouldn’t be considered but there has never been a call for it to have WHL listing status.”
Lascaux is famous for the Palaeolithic paintings found in World Heritage-listed caves in the Dordogne region of southwestern France and estimated to be up to 20,000 years old. The Depuch petroglyphs consisting of several thousand works are estimated to be up to 8000 years old.
Ngarluma, Garijarra and Yindjibarndi believe the 5km by 3km oblong-shaped volcanic block was left over from the creation of Uluru by spirit men, Maralga, who carried it to the coast and threw it into the ocean – WA’s ‘Uluru at sea’.
Additional stories and the rock art galleries of Depuch Island at streetwisemedia.com.au.