Indigenous Heritage Sites Returned to Traditional Owners
Professor Isabel McBryde and Rob Paton were invited as special guests of the Wurrunjeri people to attend the handback ceremony for the Mt William stone axe quarry in central Victoria. This large and extensive stone quarry was the centre of an impressive trade and exchange network that covered large parts of south east Australia. Isabel and Rob co-authored the successful nomination to have this highly significant site placed on the National Register of important cultural places. It is the only site of its type on the register. The handback ceremony attended by the Federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Jenny Macklin, took place at the site. Isabel spoke passionately about the importance of co-operative research between historians, archaeologists and Aboriginal people.
Parts of the day were reported in the attached ABC video screened on the national news. Click here to watch the ABC news footage.
