Case Study - Protecting Heritage
Aboriginal Elder Michael Corpus runs the coastal reserve of Minyirr Park in Broome, Western Australia. He has worked closely with Conservation Volunteers over many years to protect the environment, significant Aboriginal sites and provide skills for volunteers.
Known by Broome locals as ‘Micklo’ he commands respect both within and outside the Indigenous community. Michael explains that he is passionate about conserving the area he calls home.
“Our park has been going for eight years now. Once there were plans to develop the area into 13 hotels and a golf course, but the Traditional Owners of the land opposed this and I was part of that process.
“This area is significant to the Aboriginal people because it’s a birthplace. The Shire of Broome entered into an agreement with the Rubibi people to create Minyirr Park with the aim of keeping it as close to its natural state as possible.
“I was selected by the Rubibi people to run the park. When they told me ‘you got to look after this land now’ I didn’t know what I would do. Would I walk around with a hose all day watering plants? But as soon as I started it came naturally.
“Today, my role is onsite supervisor and our workforce consists of Department of Corrective Services participants, people from the Community Development Employment Projects programme and Conservation Volunteers.
“Together we put in walk trails, maintain the paths, provide access to the beaches and build car parks.
“Conservation Volunteers has been instrumental in helping us develop the park. We rely on them for valuable expertise, resources and assistance in conserving the environment and protecting Aboriginal sites because we need certainty that the park will remain here for its eternal life.
“There are two very important sites here – a song line, which travels north to south, and another which travels from west to east. A song line is where you can find food, water and ‘increase sites’ where certain things, like dragonflies, always come out.
“I’m happy because today we live on a song line which provides a lifestyle for people, animals, trees and birds. If we build consistently with the song line it will provide a lifestyle for everyone and everything.
“With the help of Rio Tinto’s Future Volunteers programme and Conservation Volunteers we are helping people gain skills and employment through the work they do here.