Hundreds of Indigenous artefacts up to 3,000 years old have been returned to the Traditional Custodians and Barkindji Country after sections of Australia’s largest transmission project in south-western NSW have been completed.
Repatriation and smoking ceremonies have been held across EnergyConnect’s western alignment, with Indigenous Elders and Registered Aboriginal Parties returning culturally sensitive artefacts to Country following construction of the 159km section of the nation-critical interconnector.
Transgrid executive general manager of stakeholder, regulatory and corporate affairs Maryanne Graham said, “As we build the critical transmission projects to support the clean energy transition, we are working hard to ensure culturally sensitive artefacts discovered during delivery are managed sensitively and returned to Country in a respectful way.
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“Reconciliation isn’t just about words—it requires real and meaningful action. That’s why we’re proud to have honoured our commitment to the Traditional Custodians to repatriate culturally significant artefacts as close as possible to the areas in which they were found.
“These repatriation ceremonies represent the culmination of four years of working closely with the Traditional Custodians of Barkindji Country.
“Extensive heritage surveys identified the artefacts before they were salvaged by hand, catalogued and stored in a safe off-site keeping place. The new transmission lines were then constructed before the artefacts were returned to Country and the Traditional Custodians.”
The cultural materials were primarily collected in areas near current and ancient sources of water, including the Murray River, Darling River, Greater Anabranch and Lake Victoria, showing the deep connection between the Aboriginal communities and waterways.
The Aboriginal artefacts were buried in 27 repatriation pits across a 135km corridor, between Buronga and the South Australian border, and a 24km corridor between Buronga and Red Cliffs in Victoria, and included 521 stone artefacts; 30kg of shell middens (the remains of meals of shellfish once gathered and eaten by Aboriginal people), which radiocarbon dating shows are potentially up to 3,000 years old at Lake Victoria and up to 2,000 years old at the Murray River; and 25kg of ancient campfire remains in the form of baked clay heat retainers.
On the request of Registered Aboriginal Parties, special approval was sought from the NSW Government to bury the artefacts without plastic bags. The cultural material was carefully covered with native eucalyptus leaves and vegetation. Detailed records of the artefacts were placed inside the pits.
Barkindji Elder Uncle Arthur Kirby said his ancestors would be proud that this culturally sensitive material has been returned to Country.
Uncle Arthur said the artefacts provided “a connection to Country” and were “something we hold very close to our hearts”.
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“If you come out here in the still of the night you will hear their voices that will be carried on the wind,” he said of his ancestors.
“For the last 40,000 years, these people have been looking after this Country and they are looking after it still today. It is a spiritual connection.
“We look at our culture as a Bible if you like, and we use that to connect to our Country and our old people and through this we can say that we did the right thing and they can say that proudly. I think everybody’s at peace.”
Repatriation pits have been located in areas that will not be impacted by transmission network operations and maintenance.
