Koonadan Historic Site is a
Wiradjuri
The Wiradjuri people (; ) are a group of Aboriginal Australian people from central New South Wales, united by common descent through kinship and shared traditions. They survived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers, in family groups or clans, a ...
ceremonial and burial grounds, and designated
Aboriginal Place
The ''National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974'' is the legislation passed by the New South Wales Parliament with the explicit intent of conserving the's natural and cultural heritage of the state of New South Wales; fostering public appreciation, u ...
, located 9 km northwest of
Leeton,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.
The site has a picnic shelter with signs that tell the story of the site, with artwork by local
Aboriginal people
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
.
Overview
Prior to European
colonisation of Australia
Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...
and the encroachment of settlers into Wiradjuri lands, the Koonadan
lunette dune served as a hunting and fishing ground for Wiradjuri people due to its location next to
Tuckerbil Swamp. A
bora ground was also located between the Koonadan dune and Tuckerbil Swamp, but evidence of it has been erased by changes in land use.
In the late 19th century, many Wiradjuri were removed from the Koonadan area to
Warangesda and
Euabalong, not returning until the gradual closing of
missions and
Aboriginal reserves between the mid-1920s to 1950s, when many settled in Leeton and
Narrandera
Narrandera ( ) until around 1949 also spelled "Narandera", is a town located in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales, Australia. The town lies on the junction of the Newell and Sturt highways, adjacent to the Murrumbidgee River, and ...
.
After the 1950s, the site was cleared of trees, and Tuckerbil Swamp was drained, which has greatly diminished the areas food resources.
In the early 1980s, sand mining of the Koonadan dune unearthed skeletal remains associated with two different skeletons, which were then reburied by the local Aboriginal community.
The recommencement of sand mining led to protests and blockading of the site by the local Wiradjuri community, leading to the end of sand mining at Koonadan. An agreement between the landholder and NSW government saw the eventual purchase of the southern part of the Koonadan dune, which was then declared an 'Aboriginal place' under the
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act.
References
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Sacred natural sites
Australian Aboriginal cultural history