Cultural induction at Buri Wonduri ‘Littlewell’ Mingenew Aboriginal Reserve before Mineral Resources survey

An Aboriginal reserve on the outskirts of Mingenew will be surveyed by a mining company after a local elder performed a smoking ceremony and welcome to country during cultural knowledge induction. More than 30 employees and contractors from Mineral Resources met in Mingenew on Friday, January 6, to take part in a cultural awareness induction before starting work on Littlewell Mingenew Aboriginal Reserve on Yamatji land. A Mineral Resources spokesperson said the smoking ceremony was part of the team and their contractors’ cultural heritage induction before starting a “3D seismic survey for the Lockyer natural gas project”. “These inductions were organised in conjunction with the Yamatji Southern Regional Corporation on behalf of the Yamatji Nation native title holders,” the spokesperson said. “Mineral Resources has a positive relationship with the Yamatji Nation and highly values the collaboration with the YSRC.” Wattandee tribal elder and Buri Wonduri Mingenew Aboriginal Reserve leader Thomas Cameron said he felt honoured to be presented an opportunity to perform a welcome to country and smoking ceremony for the land. “I felt that I needed to save Buri Wonduri’s history for our future generations into the future and never let our culture be lost to development of destruction,” he said. “Should Wattandee and Buri Wonduri lose our place of belonging, then we have no place to call home.” Mr Cameron grew up on the reserve in the 1950s and although he experienced a “life of hardship and pain”, he said the land held memories Traditional Owners must never forget. “We needed a leader to ensure we still have a place to return to and share stories with our families, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of our history,” he said. Buri Wonduri, or Littlewell, became an Aboriginal reserve in 1898, but Mr Cameron confirmed it closed in 1972 when families relocated through employment or marriage. “I worked as a gravedigger, machine operator, in government jobs, cement works and in shearing, but I never forgot my spirit — to preserve our culture into the future for our young people. That’s what this place is all about,” he said. The site was officially opened as a cultural reserve and heritage precinct in March 2019, offering audio tours and information for tourists and locals. Mineral Resources will survey the land to better define the subsurface reservoir model of the Lockyer gas discovery.