Brewarrina Fishtraps Listed The Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for the Heritage Act, Dr Andrew Refshauge, recently announced that the Brewarrina fishtraps in Western NSW are to be listed on the State Heritage Register. Dr Refshauge said the move was part of an overall strategy to make the State Heritage Register better reflect what the whole of society values as heritage. "I see it as a priority to add Aboriginal places to the State Heritage Register. In particular I will be working with the Aboriginal community to encourage more nominations of sites of Aboriginal significance." Brewarrina Fishtraps. Photograph by Vince Scarcella. "Listing Aboriginal places such as the Brewarrina fishtraps increases our understanding of indigenous heritage. It is an opportunity to recognise the cultural heritage of the first Australians." The fishtraps are built on a rock bar in the Barwon River, a major tributary of the Darling River in Western NSW. The stone fishtraps already existed long before European settlers came upon the site in the early 1850s. One traditional Aboriginal account has the fishtraps being built by Baiame and his two sons Booma-ooma-nowi and Ghinda-inda-mui during drought times when the Ngemba people faced famine as Gurrungga (the water hole at Brewarrina) dried up. The traditional owners are the Ngemba people, but other tribal groups, such as the Murrawari, have a strong association with the site. Stories associated with the fishtraps are found across Western NSW and they are depicted in stories and artwork as far afield as Cobar and Byrock. The traps are of great spiritual importance to the Aboriginal people who built them and use them. Today the fishtraps are greatly valued by the modern Aboriginal community as a highly visible symbol of traditional lifestyle and ownership. The local Aboriginal community is and will continue to be actively involved in the management of this site. Manager of the Brewarrina Cultural Museum at Brewarrina, Ms Donna Jeffries, said that listing on the State Heritage Register was recognition of the significance of the fishtraps for the whole of the State. "This is particularly important in this case, as the fishtraps were a traditional meeting place of significance for many Aboriginal communities. We look forward to a partnership with the Heritage Council that will ensure the fishtrap site is continued to be seen as a link to our past." .............................................................................................................................. Discover the Aboriginal Heritage of Hornsby Shire A new Aboriginal Heritage Education Kit has been produced by Hornsby Shire Council. The first of its kind in NSW, the kit will provide developers, property owners and residents with clear explanations of how Aboriginal heritage is protected and managed in the Hornsby Shire. Hornsby Shire Council was the first local government authority in NSW to integrate the management and protection of Aboriginal sites and relics into its legislation and planning processes. Council quickly saw the need for brochures to explain this legislation to the general public and to promote the Aboriginal heritage of the area. Aboriginal Heritage Consultant, David Watts, was engaged to work on the brochures. The NSW Heritage Office provided a dollar-for-dollar grant to a total value of $10,000. The kit includes: the Aboriginal history of Hornsby Shire; the European history of Hornsby Shire; the legislation that protects Aboriginal heritage at both state and local levels; guidelines for developers of properties that may contain Aboriginal sites or relics; information for residents who own land that may contain Aboriginal sites or relics; instructions on how to record an Aboriginal site. In addition, there are brochures on a range of related topics including walking tours to Aboriginal engravings and guides to Aboriginal sites and their features. The Hornsby Shire Aboriginal Heritage Education Kit is available free of charge from Hornsby Shire Council.