The discovery of rare Aboriginal artefacts on her property has prompted Strathbogie Shire mayor Amanda McLaren to make other landowners mindful of their responsibility to cultural heritage.
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On his weekly rounds of their Graytown property, Cr McClaren's husband Ian was always bringing home rubbish that he found around the place.
But about five years ago he found a greenstone axe head shining on the ground after a rain event.
The tools were made for skinning animals, digging, scarring trees to make utensils and canoes. They were also traded, as the greenstone was prized for its hardness.
Ian knew that he’d found something special and was excited when he realised it was an Aboriginal artefact.
An indigenous liaison officer from the North Central Catchment Management Authority identified it as a greenstone axe.
“Most of the artefacts have come from around the house. I spend more time there so that’s where I’m more likely to find things,” Ian said.
“You’d never set out to look for artefacts, but I think it’s important to keep an eye out for them.
“I hadn’t seen greenstone or Aboriginal artefacts prior to this but I must have learnt about it from an ecology course we did when we first arrived here.
“I honestly thought that any history like this would be buried too deep to be uncovered. We understand that much of the greenstone comes from Mt William.”
There are several sources of greenstone on Taungurung country and the Taungurung people are undertaking research to ascertain other sources.
Ian and Amanda’s first introduction to the Taungurung was the box ironbark ecology course, run by two Catchment Management Authorities, where they met Uncle Ernie and Tandy. The course looked at soils, geology, flora and fauna.
“It really opened our eyes to what is out there,” Ian said.
“It is a harsh environment here in Graytown and when there’s so much excellent country within the Taungurung traditional lands, I wonder why they chose to stay in this spot and what they were getting or gathering at which time of year.
“We are, however, strategically positioned between four unique hills, so this could have been a good meeting point between those landmarks.
“When I met Tandy and she walked us across the country and we saw things through her eyes, it brought about a much greater appreciation of what is actually here.
“I realise that finding tools is an important step in helping Taungurung people to connect the dots regarding their history.”
As shire mayor, Amanda felt there could be a stronger connection with the Taungurung people and a healthy relationship has grown, with introductions to language, a cultural heritage adviser and cultural educational providers.
“I handed the artefacts over to the Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) cultural heritage programs manager Francisco Almeida in Broadford, expecting not to see them again,” she said.
“Francisco’s eyes lit up. He’d not seen examples like this in Victoria. He made resin replicas of the tools and gave the originals back to me.”
Francisco said The Taungurung are in no position legally or logistically to confiscate artefacts – nor do they seek to have artefacts returned to them.
“The current legislation states that only secret/sacred objects or ancestral remains are to be returned,” Mr Almeida said.
“The most common artefacts, such as groundstone axes and other knapped stones belong on the country where they are found.
“It is the preference of Taungurung people for them to stay as close as possible to the areas where Taungurung ancestors left them.
“We encourage anybody finding artefacts to advise us so we can study, record and perhaps replicate them if they are deemed important for educational purposes, but then we hand them back for future generations.
“Most people put them on display somewhere safe. If they sell the property, we encourage them to hand the tools on to the next owner or, if they’re not interested, to contact TLaWC to decide their future.
“It is important for landowners to understand that the presence of Aboriginal cultural heritage on their properties is something that will not interfere with their ownership.
“It should be looked at as something that enhances the historical and heritage value of the area, and an essential element to tell a very old story of how it was cared for and managed for thousands of years.”
