Moorebank Intermodal Precinct
Artefact managed the salvage and reburial of Aboriginal artefacts and scarred trees at the site of the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct development. This required carefully balancing the desires of the developers with the needs of the local Aboriginal custodians.
The project
Location: Moorebank, Sydney on Dharug Country
Artefact developed a salvage strategy to manage Aboriginal stone artefacts and scarred trees identified within the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct area. The work was required to address the conditions of State significant development approval.
-
Moorebank Intermodal Precinct
-
Salvage strategy
Care agreement
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Report
“The artefacts were wrapped in paperbark and returned to the earth in a way that shows cultural respect and protocol.”
Heritage solution
Working with interested parties our salvage strategy involved relocation of scar trees, taking custody of stone artefacts, managing the reburial and recording the process.
We prepared a care agreement on behalf of a local Aboriginal land council, approved by Heritage NSW, which allowed for the removal of scar trees to be relocated and managed in a new location.
Our framework also allowed for a variety of stone artefacts collected on site to be carefully reburied along with a smoking ceremony and in line with the wishes of Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs).
Outcomes
The completed salvage strategy and artefact reburial allowed for final development approval and for construction to begin on the site.
We were able to successfully mediate the wishes of both the developers and the RAPs to find an agreeable outcome.
Artefact went beyond the minimum statutory requirements by facilitating a tailored reburial solution that utilised natural materials (paperbark and bark twine) to respect the wishes of the Aboriginal community regarding the management of tangible representations of their heritage.
Details have been lodged with the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS).