Quamby – The Trashing of Aboriginal History

On 17 July this year I described the importance of the area around Quamby Bluff to the Big Nation and Pallittorre clans of our indigenous predecessors to this land. That description included reference to the numerous indigenous shelters that abound on, or in the vicinity of, my property and Coupe BA388D.

http://oldtt.pixelkey.biz/index.php?/article/quamby-linzo/

The contents of this article were previously known to Forestry Tasmania and many people in the political sphere. I was seeking the immediate cessation of plans to log the Coupe and conduct a comprehensive indigenous archaeological survey.

Surprisingly I have had no response from these eminent individuals and organizations.

However karma is a wonderful thing if you are a true believer, and after some 3.5 years looking, I discovered the location of the wonderful man (John Staak) who built Myrtlebank some 20 years ago. With some astonishment I discovered he lived only some 2kms away, on the other side of Highland Lakes Road towards Jackey’s Marsh.

After a wonderful discussion he took me across his property to the south towards Projection Bluff and showed me a series of indigenous shelters that are even more substantive than the ones I had identified – see photos, below – and clearly suitable for habitation and rock art hidden under the substantive moss and vegetation.

There are undoubtedly others in the area and the Sydney Speleological Society spent some 6 days in the area earlier in the year.

Accordingly I have reconstructed my Transit Areas and Routes schematic of the prior posting to include the new area traversed last week (above). This clearly reveals an extensive area of indigenous occupation and activity that requires immediate protection and study.

In the attached letter to the Premier, and those eminent individuals described above, I seek that protection, consistent I believe with the aims of the Draft Aboriginal Heritage Protection Bill 2012 released by the Minister on 3 November, be immediately implemented for Coupe BA388D and the surrounding areas.

Prior to this posting I have also directly advised the TALSC on this matter of importance to their historical past.

Open Letter to the Premier

Premier,

On 17 July, via Tasmanian Times, and in some case directly by email, I alerted Forestry Tasmania, and others, of the substantive aboriginal history visible on or adjacent to my property and the neighbouring Coupe BA388D.

http://oldtt.pixelkey.biz/index.php?/article/quamby-linzo/

At that time I sought an intervention in the proposed logging activities of Forestry Tasmania (FT) on the subject coupe until a full archaeological survey was conducted.
FT, and others so alerted, has not responded to that request.

I now attach a broader expose of the indigenous history of the area to the south of Quamby Bluff.

As a result of the DRAFT Aboriginal Heritage Protection Bill 2012 released by the Minister of the Environment on 3 November, I urgently request that you pursue the following course of action, viz:-

• Immediately advise FT to cease all planning activities associated with Coupe BA388D, and to not commence any operations, until the passage of the subject bill, (with relevant amendments form the Aboriginal Groups incorporated) and appropriate heritage assessment is made,

• Contemporaneously, request the Minister for the Environment to place the areas described in the attachment on a provisional list of the proposed Aboriginal Heritage Register, until such time as that Draft Bill is amended to meet with the necessary input from Aboriginal Groups, and dutifully passed by both Houses,

• Request the TALSC to conduct a full archaeological survey of the denoted area, and surrounds, and

• Reinstate the World Heritage Area sign on the entrance to the area off Mountain Road at 12474 Highland Lakes Road as it was located in June 2010. See photo below.
I have ensured that interested stakeholders have been copied in on this letter (including the TALSC) and would request an urgent and positive reply.

Yours Sincerely,

John Powell

cc. Deputy Premier
Minister for the Environment, Parks and Heritage
Chair, Forestry Tasmania
Chairperson, Tasmanian Heritage Council
Members of the House of Representatives, and the Legislative Council
TALSC