Perth Airport to display Indigenous artefacts

2023-11-27

Perth Airport says it will work with Indigenous traditional custodians to display artefacts recovered during the construction of Perth’s New Runway.

The commitment is part of a detailed Indigenous cultural heritage management plan which has led to the discovery of fragments of stone on the airport estate. The small stone chips were found in two targeted archaeological digs in preparation for construction of the new parallel runway.

The fragments were found at a depth of around two metres and Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating (OSL) of the soil from the digs had indicated they could have been there for around 40,000 years. The find is similar to one from the construction of the Fiona Stanley Hospital in 2016, albeit actual stone tools were found on the hospital site. The find is also consistent with similar finds in the Perth metropolitan area.

Perth Airport Acting CEO Kate Holsgrove said under Federal government approvals, the airport was not required to do the site digs, but had chosen to go beyond the approval requirements. “We know the proposed runway is close to the Munday Swamp wetlands and that like most wetlands across Perth, this area would have been regularly used by Indigenous people,” Ms Holsgrove said.

“We have gone to great lengths to ensure the culturally significant Munday Swamp is protected for future generations. “So, it made sense for us to go further in our efforts to understand if our heritage salvage plans for the areas outside of the swamp were as robust and comprehensive as they could be. “We wanted to give the Whadjuk traditional custodians and the community a sense of confidence that any artefacts would be treated sensitively and respectfully. “The scientific dating of the find confirms what we already knew about Indigenous people using this area as part of their travel paths but gives us a better understanding of how far back in time these practices stretch.

We have engaged the same archaeological heritage consultant who assisted with the recovery of artefacts from the Fiona Stanley Hospital construction site. Following the discovery, we have again reviewed our heritage management plans.

“We will also employ local Whadjuk families to oversee the recovery of any items and will work with them to ensure any artefacts are handled properly. “We are also looking for an opportunity to appropriately display any artefacts, similar to the approach taken by the Fiona Stanley Hospital.”