0 Report of an Aboriginal Heritage Survey for the Armadale Road Duplication Project in the City of Armadale and City of Cockburn, Western Australia
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REPORT OF AN ABORIGINAL HERITAGE SURVEY FOR THE ARMADALE ROAD DUPLICATION PROJECT IN THE CITY OF ARMADALE AND CITY OF COCKBURN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA A report prepared for Main Roads Western Australia By Ms Louise Huxtable Consulting Anthropologist 79 Naturaliste Terrace DUNSBOROUGH WA 6281 [email protected] Mr Thomas O’Reilly Consulting Archaeologist 250 Barker Road SUBIACO WA 6008 [email protected] Report submitted March 2017 to: Mr Brian Norris Principal Project Manager, Transport WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff Level 5 503 Murray Street PERTH WA 6000 The Registrar Department of Aboriginal Affairs PO Box 3153 151 Royal Street EAST PERTH WA 6892 0 REPORT OF AN ABORIGINAL HERITAGE SURVEY FOR THE ARMADALE ROAD DUPLICATION PROJECT IN THE CITY OF ARMADALE AND CITY OF COCKBURN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank the following organisations and individuals who helped with the management of this Aboriginal heritage survey: Mr John Braid – Main Roads Western Australia (Principal Environment Officer) Ms Marni Baetge – Main Roads Western Australia (Environment Officer) Mr Sergio Martinez – Main Roads Western Australia (Project Manager) Mr Todd Craig – Main Roads Western Australia (Principal Heritage Officer) Mr JJ McDermott – Main Roads Western Australia (Heritage Contractor) Mr Brian Norris – WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff (Project Manager) Ms Hayley Martin – WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff (Civil Engineer) Ms Orlagh Brady – WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff (Graduate Civil Engineer) Ms Lyndall Ford – Department of Aboriginal Affairs (Heritage Information Officer) Ms Carolyn Fennelle – South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (Legal Officer) Mr Brad Goode – Brad Goode and Associates Pty Ltd (Director/Anthropologist) Mrs Leah Mackie – Brad Goode and Associates Pty Ltd (Research & Mapping Assistant) Whadjuk WC2011/009 Native Title Claim group representatives Ms Glenys Yarran Ms Kezia Jacobs-Smith Mr Harry Nannup Senior Mr Harry Nannup Junior Ms Dorothy (Doris) Getta Mr Jaymee Garrod Mr Stan Headland DISCLAIMER All of the information contained in this report is believed to be correct and accurate at the time it was recorded. The author does not take responsibility or accept any liability for errors or omissions contained in the report based upon information supplied by others. Warning: This document may contain names, images or material that relates to deceased Aboriginal persons. Permission was sought and granted by the consulted informants to cite this information. *Note: This report, in terms of its assessment under Section 5 of the Western Australian Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972, should be read in conjunction with the archaeological report by O’Reilly (2017). COPYRIGHT This report and the information contained herein are subject to Copyright and may not be copied in whole or part without the written consent of the copyright holders, being Brad Goode and Associates Pty Ltd, Main Roads Western Australia and the Whadjuk WC2011/009 Native Title Claim group members who contributed to the survey. MAPPING Datum Used: GDA 1994 MGA Zone 50. Handheld GPS Unit Garmin 60ST (+/- 10m) 1 REPORT OF AN ABORIGINAL HERITAGE SURVEY FOR THE ARMADALE ROAD DUPLICATION PROJECT IN THE CITY OF ARMADALE AND CITY OF COCKBURN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA GLOSSARY OF TERMS The Proponent – Main Roads Western Australia The Consultant – Brad Goode and Associates Pty Ltd ACMC – Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee AHA – Western Australian Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 AHIS – Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System BGA – Brad Goode and Associates Pty Ltd CHMP – Cultural Heritage Management Plan DAA – Department of Aboriginal Affairs GIS – Geographic Information Systems Main Roads – Main Roads Western Australia NSHA – Noongar Standard Heritage Agreement NTC – Native Title Claim PB – Parsons Brinckerhoff SWALSC – South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council Whadjuk – Whadjuk WC2011/009 Native Title Claim group 2 REPORT OF AN ABORIGINAL HERITAGE SURVEY FOR THE ARMADALE ROAD DUPLICATION PROJECT IN THE CITY OF ARMADALE AND CITY OF COCKBURN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ETHNOGRAPHIC SURVEY Main Roads Western Australia (‘the proponent’) is proposing a duplication of Armadale Road in the City of Armadale and City of Cockburn, Western Australia. Specifically, Main Roads Western Australia (Main Roads) wishes to duplicate approximately 7km of Armadale Road between Tapper Road in Atwell and Anstey Road in Forrestdale. As part of the duplication works, the following intersections along Armadale Road require upgrades and/or improvements: Tapper Road/Verde Drive, Atwell Fraser Road, Banjup Liddelow Road, Banjup Wright Road, Piara Waters Rossiter Avenue, Piara Waters Nicholson Road, Forrestdale In addition, the project will allow for the future potential widening of the Armadale Road/Kwinana Freeway Bridge with the proposed works aiming to increase traffic capacities within the locality of the City of Cockburn and the City of Armadale local government areas. The total survey area of approximately 8.3km encompasses the areas of impact and a modest buffer zone to allow any minor project amendments, installation of drainage structures and/or establishment of laydown/turn-around areas. Construction works will be undertaken with a range of heavy machinery and will substantially impact the area within the road footprint and adjacent road reserve. As such, the width of the Armadale Road survey corridor ranges between 60 – 130m. Prior to proceeding, Main Roads wishes to determine if there are any sites or places of Aboriginal heritage significance, as defined by Section 5 of the Western Australian Aboriginal Heritage Act (AHA), which will be affected by the proposed works, thereby fulfilling their obligations under the AHA. As such, Brad Goode and Associates Pty Ltd (‘the consultants’) were commissioned to conduct an ethnographic and archaeological Site Identification Aboriginal Heritage Survey with several representatives of the Whadjuk WC2011/009 Native Title Claim (NTC) group. In relation to this survey a search of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA) Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System (AHIS) was conducted on the 20th February 2017 in order to determine if any previously recorded Aboriginal heritage sites or places located within the Armadale Road Duplication survey corridor would be impacted upon by the proposed works (see Appendix 1: DAA Sites and Places Register Search). The search revealed that there are no previously recorded DAA ethnographic sites and one other heritage place, Place ID 3423 ‘Forrest Road’, which has a DAA extent intersecting the Armadale Road survey corridor (see Table 1: Summary of Aboriginal heritage sites or places within the project area). Three other heritage places, Place ID 3300 ‘Readymix Sandpit 2’, Place ID Readymix Sandpit 1’ and Place ID 3301 ‘Banjup: Calsil’ also have DAA place extents intersecting the survey road corridor. However, as they are archaeological places they will be discussed in the accompanying archaeological report (see O’Reilly 2017). 3 REPORT OF AN ABORIGINAL HERITAGE SURVEY FOR THE ARMADALE ROAD DUPLICATION PROJECT IN THE CITY OF ARMADALE AND CITY OF COCKBURN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Archival research has revealed that Place ID 3423 ‘Forrest Road’ was reported to be a water and food source for a nearby camp and a meeting place on a ‘pad’ (or traditional walk path) from Medina to Armadale (O’Connor 1991: 17). ‘Forrest Road’ was recorded as having associations with the Dreaming creation serpent called the Waugal who sustained the water at the swamp and whose spirit was reported to continue to reside in the swamp (ibid: 18). An examination of the DAA place file has revealed that no specific mythology regarding the swamp has been recorded. However, it was reported that the Forrest Road swamp is part of a chain of water bodies along the coast which are linked through the travels of the Waugal and form a traditional path that Aboriginal people travelled along (Anthropos 2010: 17). The camp was reported to be used from the 1920s until the 1940s by seasonal Aboriginal workers undertaking bean-stake cutting from Tea Trees on nearby farms and who sunk shallow wells at the side of the swamp (ibid: 17-18; Venz & Glendenning 2001: 25). It was also reported by an Aboriginal informant that births could have taken place next to the Forrest Road swamp, however no specific details have been recorded in regards to this (O’Connor 1991: 17). In relation to the current survey, Place ID 3423 ‘Forrest Road’ is located to the west of Kwinana Freeway along Midgegooroo Avenue. A triangular portion of the DAA place extent, measuring approximately 44m NW/SE x 60m W/E x 75m S/E, intersects with the western end of the road survey corridor. As Place ID 3423 ‘Forrest Road’ is not a site under the AHA, the proponent has no further legal obligations under the AHA in relation to this place and is not required to take any action in relation to the AHA. As a result of ethnographic consultations held with several South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) nominated representatives from the Whadjuk WC2011/009 Native Title Claim group on the 21st of February 2017, it has been determined that, to the knowledge of the Whadjuk Traditional Owners, there are no new ethnographic sites of significance, as defined by Section 5 of the AHA, located within the Armadale Road Duplication survey corridor. During the consultations the Whadjuk Traditional Owners advised that DAA Place ID 3423 ‘Forrest Road’ and Site ID 3713 ‘Lake Forrestdale’ are places along a traditional ‘run’ or walk path between the coast and the Darling Ranges. The lake, swamp and surrounding wetlands were reported to be used as water and food sources by Nyungars who camped near the embankments of the waterways. Nyungar families were also reported by the Traditional Owners to have camped there whilst they undertook seasonal bean-stick cutting and tomato growing in the Forrestdale, Banjup, Atwell and Cockburn areas. Lake Forrestdale was reported to have been extensively used as a food and water source and camping ground by Nyungar families, with one elder recalling that he camped near the Lake with his family in the 1960s whilst he undertook seasonal work in the area.