Abstract
The Martuwarra Fitzroy River isone of Australia’s largest Heritage sites – and the longest in Western Australia at 733 km and comes with its own unique set of opportunities and challenges. But to fully understand and act on these opportunities and challenges, we need to fully understand why the region and its people are so special. What makes this globally unique place special? How can people access it in responsible ways? How can it help us create sustainable heritage futures?
It was these questions that the project team sought to address when applying to the DCCEEW for a Heritage grant to "improve access to National Heritage sites". Our response was a novel interactive educational resource / that allows people to explore the region regardless of their geographic location or level of knowledge.
Speaking with Traditional Owners, the response was consistent that the “criteria" of the National Heritage inscription did not always align with the values and points people wanted to share. In many cases, points that people did want to share, were not suitable for the public domain. The project team spent months on the road, sleeping in swags, sometimes following tracks that had not seen a motor car in decades, and other times cursing the helicopter for not starting after driving thousands of kilometres to a rendezvous point. 6 month of collaborative fieldwork resulted in honest and rich content to share with the public. After compiling a mountain of wide-ranging media material, the post-production phase offered its own set of challenges to be overcome before something could be delivered that was both informative of the National Heritage criteria and critically, true to Traditional Owners' Voices. We hope that this educational resource allows you to join the journey and be immersed in the rich heritage tapestry associated with Martuwarra and the West Kimberley.
It was these questions that the project team sought to address when applying to the DCCEEW for a Heritage grant to "improve access to National Heritage sites". Our response was a novel interactive educational resource / that allows people to explore the region regardless of their geographic location or level of knowledge.
Speaking with Traditional Owners, the response was consistent that the “criteria" of the National Heritage inscription did not always align with the values and points people wanted to share. In many cases, points that people did want to share, were not suitable for the public domain. The project team spent months on the road, sleeping in swags, sometimes following tracks that had not seen a motor car in decades, and other times cursing the helicopter for not starting after driving thousands of kilometres to a rendezvous point. 6 month of collaborative fieldwork resulted in honest and rich content to share with the public. After compiling a mountain of wide-ranging media material, the post-production phase offered its own set of challenges to be overcome before something could be delivered that was both informative of the National Heritage criteria and critically, true to Traditional Owners' Voices. We hope that this educational resource allows you to join the journey and be immersed in the rich heritage tapestry associated with Martuwarra and the West Kimberley.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Specialist publication | Story Map - Living Water: River, Land and Sea Country and Indigenous People of the West Kimberley |
| Publisher | Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2024 |
