Raising funds for an Indigenous History of Walkerville Prior to Planned Burn Autumn 2015
with Cape Liptrap photos
Background
There has been no archaeological survey of the Cape Liptrap Coastal Park to date – yet there are planned fires for most of this small park. Wayne Thorpe, a Gunnaikurnai linguist has offered to undertake this survey and associated research and has already visited this site a number of times.
Indigenous Cultural Survey Prior to Burning
Cape Liptrap Coastal Park contains messmate forests that are some of the oldest unburned bush remaining in South Gippsland. This bush is in a coastal strip between Waratah township and Cape Liptrap and is the location of many recorded sites where Aboriginal people camped and and processed foods and medicinal plants etc.
Potential Impact of burning
The proposed burns may not only threaten unidentified shield and canoe
trees but will see the loss of valuable micro particles on stone tools
which show which plants and animals they were used for.
Camp sites within the park also contain the remains of a wide range of
species that were utilised in the past and will be lost if burned.
Research Required
- To track though language, stories and other records the use of fire in South Gippsland by Indigenous peoples.
- Archival research to identify past archaeological surveys of the Cape Liptrap Coastal Park
- Site survey to locate recorded sites and follow-up local stories of stone circles to locate and identify scar trees, camp sites etc.
- Identify species of birds, animals and plants that are key to local indigenous stories
Funding a Staged Approach
The local community, naturalists and others are seeking to raise funding to get this research deigned and started with the desire that once it has been designed and quoted on that pause in proposed burning will allow additional funding for a comprehensive survey.
Stage 1
Collate existing archaeological records and relevant stories and locate recorded sites and further design and cost the research required.
Costs: Wayne Thorpe has offered to start the project and design it at a special community rate of $40 per hour plus the costs of fuel with accommodation provided. Target for fund raising for Stage 1 is $4000
Return for investors
All investors will have access to reports on web or via email. Additionally Wayne Thorpe will give talks and walk through the bush over two days in late January early February which will be free of charge for all investors of over $100 and $50 for low income pensioners etc.