Welcome to Dampier
We heard of this town called Karratha near Dampier in the Pilbara. A town that represented everything Kimberley people hate and worry about. It is a major oil and gas, iron ore and sea salt complex that shipped 81 million tons of LNG, 861 million tons of iron ore worth $125B plus the largest evaporative salt ponds in the world. When Andy and landed in Karratha we thought we could be in San Francisco or Long Beach where refineries and cargo ships are commonplace. Sorta felt like home to us.
Why Protect the Burrup Pennisula near Karratha?
Murujuga National Park and the islands of the Dampier Archipelago showcase what is thought to be the highest concentration of rock engravings of any known site in the world.Â
Murujuga National Park is situated about 5Â kilometres north-east of the town of Dampier and 35 kilometres from Karratha. Access is via the Burrup Road, off the Dampier Highway.
Petroglyphs
With Aboriginal people living there for more than 50,000 years the engravings (petroglyphs) have been estimated to be as old as 40,000 years. The petroglyphs are diverse, depicting a record of what was meaningful to the Aboriginal people of the Pilbara and beyond. From human figures and birds, to marine life and extinct creatures, the art provides an insight into an ancient world. Ngajarli (Deep) Gorge situated on the Burrup Peninsula is a popular site for those wanting to see these traditional engravings.
The rock art is sacred for Aboriginal people and its traditional custodians the Ngarluma-Yindjibarndi, the Yaburara-Mardudhunera and the Woon-goo-tt-oo.
Keep to the pathways and if wanting to view this amazing art up close, please walk around it, rather than on it. When visiting the peninsula please take note of the signage which asks visitors not to climb onto the rocks and to abstain from taking photographs of humanoid rock art figures due to cultural restrictions.
Flora and Fauna
Thirty per cent of all plants and animals that occur in the Pilbara are found on the peninsula - an amazing statistic for a relatively small area. At least 23 plant species found here either have restricted distribution or are poorly known. Plants such as the native fig are more typical of the wetter Kimberley region, but here they grow in humid, fire-protected pockets and creek beds. Mammals include the northern quoll, Rothschild's rock-wallaby, echidna, euro, common rock rat and delicate mouse. Shady valleys contain temporary pools, and provide interesting wildlife homes. The Pilbara olive python lives amongst the rock piles, and evidence of rock-wallabies can be seen beneath overhanging rocks, where they frequently shelter from the heat.
Around the Dampier area, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, predominantly Ngarluma, make up 9.0% of the population totaling 20,000. The Yinidbarndi, Yaburara, Mardudhunera, and Woon-goo-tt-oo peoples have lived in the surrounding area for approximately 50,000 years. And the pending world heritage listing for Murujuga National Park is key to long term preservation of the area's deep cultural landscape. (Wiki)
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