Dyurrite
Cultural Landscape
“There’s a spiritual connection to Dyurrite. Our Ancestors have been involved in this place for tens of thousands of years.”
—Michael Douglas
Wotjobaluk Nations
Culture
We want people to better understand what the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape means to us. We want people to know more about the history and the amount of time that the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk People have been living in this place.
Heritage
Wotjobaluk Peoples have been a part of the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape and cultural heritage for tens of thousands of years. As new protection is being put in place, we want to share the reasons why we are asking that this significant place be protected, conserved and treated with respect.
The landscape has suffered damage due to a lack of defined cultural and environmental protection measures. Parks Victoria and Barengi Gadjin Land Council are working toward restoring the cultural heritage and environmental features of the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape.
For the safety of Dyurrite, we have not included images of many of the rediscoveries that have been made.
In the future, we hope that we have the proper protection in place and that we are confident that the community is walking with us so that we can share freely and openly.
“To be honest, we feel nervous about sharing why Dyurrite is special to us. We're concerned that talking about its significance to the Wotjobaluk Peoples could create risks for Dyurrite. However, this place is incredibly important to us.
Our Ancestors faced immense pressure from missionaries to forget about it, but they remained resilient. We will do the same.”
—Stuart Harradine
Wotjobaluk Nations
Artefacts
We are protecting this cultural landscape because we are legislated to do so, but it is also a cultural responsibility we’ve inherited from our Ancestors that we are upholding.
In one part of the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape, archaeological surveys rediscovered tens of thousands of artefacts, hundreds of stone tool manufacturing sites dating back thousands of years and additional information about one of the largest stone manufacturing sites in the world.
Archaeologists believe this might have national significance in terms of the scale of what is believed to be an industrial operation that was large enough to be important to the surrounding area.
“Dyurrite is very significant and provides a long connection for the Wotjobaluk Nations through physical, tangible evidence of artefacts and rock art that reinforces the long connection we have to Country. And for me, I feel like what we are going through right now is the importance of understanding the past and telling the truth that needs to be told. This will allow future generations to be able to walk Country together and respect significant places together.”
—Damien Skurrie, Wotjobaluk Nations.
“It is crucial to have the ability for us to reconnect to this place, and for us as the next generation to learn why Dyurrite is special through conversations, ceremonies, or whatever means necessary for our Elders to pass that knowledge on to the next generation.
Looking forward, we want to build programs that allow us to feel that this is a safe space where we can go to walk Country and feel safe to enjoy the presence of our Ancestors.”
—Damien Skurrie
Wotjobaluk Nations
Intangible Cultural Heritage
“It is really important to make sure people know there’s intangible heritage at Dyurrite. There are stories, cultural connections and legends that have been passed down for hundreds of generations. It is important for people to respect this connection.”
—Michael Douglas, Wotjobaluk Nations.
What is Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage?
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Intangibles are the storylines, the Dreaming stories and the stories that have been handed down from generation to generation for hundreds of generations.
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The tangibles are the artefacts, rock art, scar trees, plants, trees, animals, and the stuff you can touch.
History
For tens of thousands of years and hundreds of generations, the Wotjobaluk People have lived in the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape, which includes Dyurrite and Mitre Rock.
However, approximately 200 years ago, many of our Ancestors were forcibly removed from Dyurrite and placed in missions where they were separated from language, storylines, dreaming stories and Country.
“Most of our Ancestors were put into Ebenezer Mission north of Dimboola. They put black fellas in one place and isolated us, got us away from Country and hid us away from everything.
We are still recovering so much that was lost during that time and having culturally safe places at Dyurrite is a part of that restoration process.”
—Stuart Harradine
Wotjobaluk Nations
Cultural Survey
In 1992, a survey of Dyurrite located at least 42 Aboriginal archaeological sites, including rock art, scarred trees and a stone harvesting site that is one of the largest of its kind across Australia and indicates an extensive trading resource that was utilised.
“I don’t want my children to go through the same pain and disrespect that my mum and other Elders went through, not feeling safe at this significant place, or not wanting to visit because it was being used inappropriately.”
—Damien Skurrie
Wotjobaluk Nations
Cultural and Environmental Impacts
Over the past few years, Barengi Gadjin Land Council and Parks Victoria have conducted numerous cultural heritage and environmental surveys within the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape in order to assess the impact of recreational activities on cultural values and the environment.
The team, which included archaeologists, botanists, ecologists and cultural heritage specialists, surveyed all 153 known recreational areas.
These surveys revealed significant rediscoveries of cultural and environmental values that need to be protected.
Sacred Sites
In 2020 it was brought to our attention that people were climbing on and around the irreplaceable rock art in Dyurrite.
An Interim Protection Declaration (IPD) under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic) was placed on a rock art site by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. The IPD was required immediately to prevent damage to the rock art.
Barengi Gadjin Land Council and Parks Victoria stepped in to protect the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape, as we are culturally and legally obligated to do.
“Many management and recreational activities have historically and continue to cause harm to our heritage values. More than physical harm to our cultural places, our people are significantly affected psychologically, emotionally and spiritually as well.
Seeing visitors trampling over ceremony sites or artefact scatters or seeing climbing bolts drilled into the bones of our Creation Ancestors or at our rock art sites causes enormous distress to Traditional Owners; and when our health and well-being are impacted in this way, it calls into question our very place within the Creation (Dreaming) Cycle.
While this may be beyond a full understanding within conventional Western thought, it is why Traditional Owners must reassert their ancient cultural responsibilities to care for Country and Culture, so that this harm can be minimised.”
—Stuart Harradine
Wotjobaluk Nations
Rediscoveries
Due to colonisation and the disruption of cultural practices, the community is holding some of the recent rediscoveries close.
We are still recovering and grieving what has been lost. We don't feel like it is safe to share details without adequate protection in place. For now, some of the rediscoveries will remain in the community with our Knowledge Holders.
Here are some of the recent rediscoveries we are willing to share at this time:
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Tens of thousands of artefacts have been rediscovered at one of the largest stone manufacturing sites in the world.
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Additional rock art and scarred trees were rediscovered during the survey.
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Threatened species of flora and fauna that are unique to this place.
Legislation
Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BGLC) is the appointed Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, for the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape. BGLC also has legal status and settlements with both the Commonwealth (Native Title Act, 1993) and State (Traditional Owner Settlement Act, 2010) which formally recognises the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk People’s rights and responsibilities, including the ongoing protection of cultural heritage and caring for Wotjobaluk Country.
Protection
The Dyurrite Cultural Landscape, which has been home to the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Peoples for tens of thousands of years, is located within the settlement area. This legally recognises the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Peoples' rights and obligations to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage at Dyurrite. In short, we are both culturally and legislatively obligated to protect the cultural heritage in Dyurrite.
The Dyurrite Management Plan is still being finalised by Parks Victoria, for more information click here.
“I do not try and go behind the barriers of a climb because I respect the civilisation that it represents—this (Dyurrite and Gariwerd) has an international cultural heritage.
I respect the civilisation that rests on these lands. There is rock art there from a culture far older than the Greeks. We should respect that and not have bolts and all the paraphernalia that come with rock climbing in those sensitive areas.
We should respect this area just as much as we respect the Parthenon, the Acropolis and the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.
These are important cultural heritage sites, we should be proud of them.”
—Steve Dimopoulos,
Victorian Minister of Environment at The Public Accounts and Estimates Committee
“We are finally starting to pick up our storyline again. The storybook was started thousands of years ago, but then someone put a marker in that book, and for 200 years, we were not allowed to turn the page. Now we are at the stage where we are starting to get things moving, through truth-telling, reflecting on the past and acknowledging it. We are getting ready to turn the page to read the next chapter about what the future can look like.”
—Damien Skurrie
Wotjobaluk Nations
Looking Forward
As we contemplate the future of preserving and protecting this sacred cultural landscape, we are committed to creating opportunities for all individuals to appreciate this significant landscape culturally, spiritually and recreationally.
In the last few years, Wotjobaluk People have brought cultural burns back to the Dyurrite Cultural Landscape and we have plans to continue cultural burns for the rejuvenation and restoration of the natural landscape.
Dyurrite is filled with irreplaceable history, artefacts and stories that are an incredible treasure for all Victorians to celebrate and protect, we look forward to sharing this significant place with you.