CULTURE & HERITAGE

Under the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Rights Act, it is the function of every land council ‘to promote and protect Aboriginal culture and the heritage of Aboriginal persons in its area’

Conservation

There are many sites of cultural significance registered within Awabakal LALC boundaries. There are many more unregistered sites of cultural significance within our boundaries. It is Awabakal’s role to protect, care and manage the sites not only for the benefit of our members, but for all Australians to appreciate for generations to come.

Repatriation of Aboriginal remains

In the nineteenth century it was common practice to steal the bodies of Aboriginal people for research and display in museums and other scientific institutions. This practice caused great sadness to our people who believe that not being buried in your own country means your spirit can’t be released.


Scientists at the time mistakenly believed that Aboriginal people were a dying race. They thought that studying our skulls and other body parts would give them clues about human evolution. Although these ideas and practices have long been discredited, the remains of thousands of Aboriginal people continue to be held in museums and universities in Australia and around the world. Awabakal LALC is committed to returning the remains of Newcastle and Hunter area Aboriginal people back to their own country.


Most recently we brought home an ancestor repatriated from the Grassi Museum of Ethnology in Leipzig, Germany in November last year.


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Site Assessments

Before the coming of the Europeans, Aboriginal people lived all through Awabakal/Worimi area. As a result of this widespread occupation, any development which involves the disturbance of the natural ground surface has the potential to damage or destroy Aboriginal objects such as axes, grinding stones, flints and engravings. To safeguard against a breach of both the National Parks and Wildlife Act and the Environmental Protection Act ALALC's trained staff can conduct a Cultural Heritage Site Assessment for developers prior to the lodgment of a Development Application.