Whitefellas have destroyed our Bible and now they want to crush the last stone of our cathedral

'It's such a spiritual place to us. We don't know how to explain it whitefella way, you just feel it all over your body and you know that 'the old people' are here.  ^[1]

'If there is blasting or machine movements anywhere near there the vibrations of that Ground could unsettle what Nature has allowed to stand there all these years since the Beginning of Time.'  ^[2]

'Can't you feel the sacredness of that stone. You don't need to touch it; just being near it is enough.'  ^[3]

The Owl Stone (Boyay Gogomat) near Hanson's Red Hill Quarry is a sacred Aboriginal site.
(Source: www.nyungah.org.au)

Quarry a 'scar on heritage
by Joel Kelly The Advocate 29 October 2014
with quotations from local noongar people inserted - More

Plans by Hanson Construction Materials to expand its quarrying operations could affect Aboriginal heritage sites, including a camp where iconic warrior Yagan is said to have had his last meal.

'Why is it that the wadjela [white man] wants us to prove that our Ancestors lived on this land, had ceremonies and made this land live for thousands of years. We know their story - it's written all over this land. You wadjelas can't see it 'cause all you can see is the money you're going to make from our Spiritual Dreaming.' ^[4]

Hanson, a subsidiary of German-based Heidelberg Cement, submitted an application to impact Aboriginal sites so it can expand its Red Hill Quarry, which could destroy areas sacred to Nyungar people.

Under threat is the Weeip campsite, named after an 1820s Aboriginal leader who gave refuge to Yagan before he was shot.

Statue of the warrior Yagan at Heirisson island, Perth (The location of the Sovereign Embassy)
(Source: www.abc.net.au)
It is said that warrior Yagan had his last meal near Owl Rock

Yagan (c1795 – 1833) was a First Nations warrior from the Noongar people, he played a key part in early resistance to British settlement and rule in the area surrounding what is now known as Perth, Western Australia. Yagan was eventually shot and settlers cut off his head to claim a government bounty. Later, an official sent the 'shrunken' head to London, where it was exhibited as an "anthropological curiosity" and eventually given to a museum in Liverpool. The museum stored it for a century and then in 1964 they buried it with the remains of other First Peoples 'bones'. Following requests from the Noongar people that the head was repatriated, Yagan's head was exhumed and shipped to Australia where it was buried in a traditional ceremony in the Swan Valley in July 2010, 177 years after his death. - More' ^[5]

The Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee will consider the Section 18 application next month. However, of 53 similar applications submitted in the past year, not one has been rejected and motions were supported by traditional owners 90 per cent of the time.

A Hanson spokesman said mining in the extended area would start when conditional matters for approval had been resolved.

In sectors of land not affected by Aboriginal Heritage ruling, this could be "within a few months".

Hanson said it would comply with the Aboriginal Heritage Act.

"A number of predevelopment, ministerial conditions will need to be worked through prior to works beginning in the approved sector," the spokesman said.

Just to the north of Red Hill Quarry, another Aboriginal heritage site, the Owl Stone (Boyay Gogomat), is protected by a 250m buffer zone.

An independent survey commissioned by local Aboriginal elders alleges Hanson is already encroaching on that zone by more than 20m.

The Owl Stone is 20m high and is said to provide a physical link with the Dreamtime and a physical depiction of mythology.

'These old sites are not lost. They're being looked after by 'the old people' [ancestors] who have been waiting for us to come and take over from them. If I close my eyes, I can see 'the old people' sitting down smiling at us, happy that we're here.' ^[6]

(Source: www.nyungah.org.au)

Nyungar consultant Daniel Garlett said the Owl Stone was of crucial importance.

"It needs to be protected," he said.

Swan River Plains senior elder Richard Wilkes said the proposed expansion would scar the western side of the Darling Range and be visible to the Swan Valley.

"It's a scar on our heritage and who we are," he said.

'This place is important to us. You can feel it all around. We knew it was here because we saw the engravings over there at Boral's. They were pointing over here. We knew it was pointing to something really important.  ^[7]

References:

[1], [2], [3], [4], [6], [7] - Nyungah Views on the 'Owl Stone' were documented during consultations with Nyungar Elders in 2008 - Source Suzannah Valley 'Culture' Swan Valley Nyungah Community

[5] - Yagan (Western Australia) Wikipedia