The Calga Aboriginal Cultural Landscape will be protected forever following heritage listing of the site on October 1.
One of the state’s most sacred Aboriginal site, the landscape is a symbolic and ritulaised sandstone amphithreatre shaped like a womb.
Aboriginal Affairs and Heritage Minister, Don Harwin, who visited the site to announce the heritage listing, said it was of exceptional social and spiritual importance to Aboriginal people as the sacred birthplace of the creation deity, the emu-man Daramulan.
“I’m delighted that the Calga Aboriginal Cultural Landscape will be heritage protected as this remarkable site is such a sacred place for our First Nations people, particularly Darkinjung, Guringai and Mingaletta communities,” Harwin said.
“This landscape is particulary revered by Aboriginal women as a link to their ancestors as well as a key resource for teaching future generations of Aboriginal children, particularly girls, about their culture and spirituality.
“There has been enourmous support from the community for this listing.”
“There has been enormous support from the community for this listing”
MLC for the Central Coast and Hunter, Taylor Martin, said the listing was a credit to those who had been passionate about it for many years.
“The Government has listened to the community who have campaigned over the past decade to secure the recognition and protection of the sacred landscape,” he said.
“Calga is a place of lore and ceremony and includes shared spaces for groups to gather and special gender-restricted areas for traditional ceremony by women which will now be preserved and passed on to future generations.”
Source: Media release, October 1, 2019. Aboriginal Affairs and Heritage Minister Don Harwin.