Uluru ‘sister’ site overlooked in World Heritage List nomination

DEPUCH Island, or Womalantha, has never been considered for inclusion on the World Heritage List even though its Aboriginal rock art and cultural importance has been known and studied since 1840.
Greens (WA) MLC for mining and pastoral Robin Chapple told StreetWise Media 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,” he said. “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.”
According to Ngarluma, Gariyarra and Yindjibarndi people, the volcanic ‘hill’ is believed to have been left over from the creation of Uluru (Ayer’s Rock).
As reported yesterday by StreetWise, the WA Museum, whose rock art and wildlife surveys in the early 1960s helped save Depuch from industrial development, says it does not want to get involved as management of the sacred site was transferred to traditional owners in 2015.
In 2017, the McGowan Government ratified a state agreement with NZ company Todd Corporation to build a 162km rail line linking its mines to the historic town of Balla Balla, just 3km from Depuch.
The island’s petroglyphs were never mentioned or referred to during debate in parliament over the $6 billion Balla Balla iron ore project nor do they appear in nearly 50 references supporting the World Heritage List nomination of the Burrup rock art despite several scientific studies, including the WA Museum work, dating back to the early 1930s.
The island was named and charted by French explorers in 1801 and the first petroglyphs recorded by the crew of HMS Beagle.
In January this year, the Federal Government lodged a submission to include the Burrup ‘Murujuga’ rock art on Australia’s world heritage tentative list, the first formal step toward the global recognition of more than one million petroglyphs dating back at least 40,000 years.
This leaves Depuch Island, whose petroglyphs number several thousand and date back to at least to 7000 to 8000 years ago, and other already vulnerable sites exposed to the impacts of future mining and vandalism, including graffiti.
Mr Chapple has visited Depuch and says other sites worthy of listing include Karriarra Island 6km west of Port Hedland, which has at least 15,000 carvings, and a range of hills called ‘The Sisters’, 16km from Whim Creek.
“The Sisters was historically a meeting place for all of the various tribes in the Pilbara and worryingly contains some of the largest collections of rubbing plates and stones along with carvings representing desert and coastal culture intermingled and has no legal protection,” he said. “Depuch is an incredible important site, one of many that exist in the Pilbara.”
Mr Chapple said the Burrup met four of the six criterion set by the World Heritage Committee, the selection criteria available at www.environment.gov.au/heritage/about/world/world-heritage-criteria.
He said Womalantha is an important part of the Minyiburu mythology, “it is assumed that the spiritual journey undertaken either travelled up along the coast from the Burrup Peninsula and then out into the desert to be part of the Minyiburu Tjukurpa … Depuch is, according to Kingsley Palmer, a ‘resting place’ for the Minyiburu”.
He adds Depuch is a registered site, as are sites on nearby West Moore Island and on the mainland at the mouth of the Sherlock River, just west of Balla Balla.
It was not until early this year during debate on the North West Gas Development (Woodside) Agreement Amendment Bill 2019 and the proposed listing of the Burrup ‘Murujuga’ rock art that Mr Chapple highlighted the significance of Depuch Island.

‘Outstanding Aboriginal art’

Burrup Peninsula was chosen as the site of the North West Shelf project after the WA Government abandoned plans in the early 1960s to build a deepwater port at Depuch Island.
At the time, the Government described Depuch as one of, “the most remarkable native art sites in existence and of which we, as Western Australians, can be justly proud”.
The WA Museum survey team which convinced the Government to shift the port to Dampier Archipelago stated the development of WA had shown rapid advances and that, “It is clear that we must accept many of these changes, but we must also behave responsibly, so that needless destruction is avoided and the future is not robbed of some of the outstanding features of the past. Among the things that we should not wantonly destroy, because of their scientific, aesthetic, and tourist value, are examples of our unique native rock art and Aboriginal culture”.
It noted the consternation expressed by various scientific and responsible bodies, when the intention of the Government became known, “was the outcome of genuine anxiety regarding the safety of the outstanding Aboriginal art of the island”.
It also recommended the best of the Depuch rock art be relocated to Roebourne if the Government proceeded to industrialise the Balla Balla coast.
Mr Chapple said the other reason for wanting to protect Depuch was the presence of two significant inscriptions on a promontory at Anchor Hill, both of which were photographed by StreetWise when it visited the island on July 15 and available at www.streetwisemedia.com.au.
“The first was made by the crew of the HMS Beagle in 1840 and the second was by the crew of the Penguin in 1909,” he said. “Crews from a number of later European ships also made their mark on that promontory. It was those inscriptions that in fact precluded development of that area.”
(The French chart of Depuch reproduced here was purchased from Christie’s in London by the State Government in 2002 as part of the Freycinet collection. It shows ‘Ile Depuch’, nearby Sable Island and the Balla Balla coastline).
In March this year, Mr Chapple told parliament with the loss of rock art over the past 25 years, “it seems to me, in the 21st century, as a first world economy, to make sure that we do get the benefits of the development of the gas resource, but we also have a wider responsibility to protect this ancient rock art. It is of immense international significance”.
Quoting former premier Colin Barnett, who in 2017 initially signed the state agreement with Todd Corporation to develop the Balla Balla area, Mr Chapple said: “He (Mr Barnett) said in a 60 Minutes interview – ‘People are trying to pretend that the rock art isn’t there. What I’m saying is, ‘this is of world significance’.”
Mr McGowan and WA Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt have refused to comment. Todd Corporation and traditional owners have not responded to requests for a comment.
More on Depuch’s internationally recognised rock art at www.streetwisemedia.com.au.