The Barrow Island Archaeology Project has been highlighted by UWA for its research impact.
The Barrow Island Archaeology Project, located 50 kilometres northwest off the Pilbara coast, was led by Peter Veth, Professor of Archaeology, Centre for Rock Art Research and Management (CRARM) at the University of Western Australia. Its goals were to understand:
- how Australia was settled by Aboriginal people potentially 50,000 years ago; and
- what life was like for Indigenous people in the deep past, and the nature of their coastal societies.
In conducting their research, the team looked for evidence of how maritime resources were used when Aboriginal people settled Australia as a maritime society and what art and skills-systems were in place.
The research is ground breaking though working on Barrow Island presented its own challenges. It is one of the first conservation estates of Western Australia, hosts oil and gas companies including Chevron Australia, is regulated by the Department of Parks and Wildlife and is covered by the Aboriginal Heritage Act and federal Instruments. Taking into consideration each of the stakeholders interests meant their support was critical to the success of the project.
Follow the link here to read about the challenges, solutions, and impacts this complex project has addressed.