Delivering Long-Term Cultural Heritage Excellence Across a Significant Aboriginal Landscape in Australia's Economic Engineroom: the Pilbara region of Western Australia
The Banjima People are the Traditional Owners of Country in the central Pilbara of Western Australia, maintaining enduring cultural connections to an ancient landscape and the places within it. Their native title lands cover more than 1 million hectares, and Banjima identity is expressed through Law, kinship, ceremony, and the Banjima language, which remains an important living link to Country.
Today, many Banjima people live across Western Australia, including Perth and Pilbara centres such as Roebourne, Onslow and Port Hedland, while continuing to return to, speak for, and care for Banjima Country. The Banjima people are represented by the Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC), which supports community priorities, cultural governance, and programs that strengthen a self-determined future for Banjima families and future generations.
Since 2005, Australian Cultural Heritage Management (ACHM) has served as the Banjima people’s trusted cultural heritage partner, supporting informed decision-making, long-term stewardship and the protection of cultural values across this vast and complex terrain.
Over two decades, our team has completed archaeological and ethnographic surveys across 110,000 and 385,000 hectares respectively, recording more than 3,000 archaeological and 100 ethnographic sites. Exploratory and salvage excavations at significant rock shelters have uncovered evidence of Aboriginal occupation extending back more than 47,000 years. Services have spanned archaeological and ethnographic assessment, cultural values mapping, Social Surroundings assessments, ILUA negotiations, GIS heritage database management and mine closure planning.
Working closely with the Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC) and Banjima Elders, ACHM co-designs engagement frameworks, cultural protocols and on-Country decision-making pathways that ensure Banjima identity, knowledge and values remain central to all activities on Country, today and for future generations.”
Client
Banjima people
Location
Pilbara, Western Australia
Sectors
Energy and Mining
Representative Bodies
Renewables
Services
Project Snapshot
Client Testimonial
Ed Armstrong
Chief Executive Officer | Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC)
ACHM are engaged extensively across Banjima Country, and they provide exceptional expertise, professionalism, customer service and a genuine passion for preserving and promoting cultural heritage.
ACHM goes beyond mere consultancy through consistently delivering professional services, solutions and best practice in everything they do.
Results Delivered
Ensuring Cultural Heritage Certainty for Traditional Owners on Banjima Country
For over two decades, Australian Cultural Heritage Management has served as the Banjima people’s trusted heritage partner, building the deep relationships, cultural knowledge and technical rigour needed to protect one of the Pilbara’s most significant Aboriginal landscapes alongside active resource development. Our sustained program of survey, recording and stewardship has given the Banjima people a defensible, evidence-based foundation for all heritage decisions on Country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is required under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 before mining activity can commence on Aboriginal heritage sites in Western Australia?
Under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA), a proponent must obtain a Section 18 consent from the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs before disturbing or harming a registered Aboriginal site. This process requires the proponent to submit an application detailing the proposed activity and its impact, which is assessed against the cultural heritage significance of the site. Engaging qualified Aboriginal heritage consultants to conduct thorough surveys, ethnographic assessments and site documentation before making a Section 18 application is critical to demonstrating due diligence and achieving a defensible outcome. Australian Cultural Heritage Management has extensive experience managing this process for mining clients across the Pilbara and beyond.
What is an ethnographic assessment and when is it required for a mining project?
An ethnographic assessment documents the cultural values, traditions, and connections that Traditional Owner groups hold for a given landscape or site. Unlike an archaeological survey, which records physical material evidence, ethnographic assessments capture the living, intangible dimensions of Aboriginal heritage through engagement with knowledge holders and Elders. In Western Australia, ethnographic assessments are a routine component of heritage surveys for mining and resource projects, particularly where the landscape has high cultural sensitivity. For the Banjima heritage program, Australian Cultural Heritage Management has conducted ethnographic surveys across 385,000 hectares of Pilbara Country as part of our ongoing heritage advisory services.
How is cultural values mapping used in mine heritage management?
Cultural values mapping is the process of recording and spatially referencing the cultural, spiritual and historical values that Traditional Owners attach to a landscape, including sacred sites, story places, dreaming tracks and areas of particular ecological or ceremonial significance. In a mining context, cultural values mapping helps project teams understand which areas require avoidance or special management before any ground disturbance occurs. It is also a critical input into heritage management plans and Section 18 applications. Australian Cultural Heritage Management integrates cultural values mapping with GIS spatial analysis to produce defensible, regulator-ready heritage datasets for mining clients across Australia. Learn more about our cultural values mapping services.
What does heritage management for Traditional Owner groups involve beyond archaeological survey?
Heritage management for Traditional Owner groups extends well beyond archaeological survey to encompass the full lifecycle of a project and the ongoing stewardship of Country. This includes ethnographic fieldwork, the preparation and implementation of heritage management plans, negotiation and implementation of Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs), mine closure planning, heritage database management, regular on-Country inspections and the building of community capacity for heritage governance. Since 2005, Australian Cultural Heritage Management has served as the Banjima people’s principal heritage partner, delivering all of these services as part of a long-term, collaborative relationship.
What is mine closure heritage assessment and why does it matter?
Mine closure heritage assessment involves evaluating the condition and management status of all Aboriginal cultural heritage on a mining tenure as part of the broader mine closure planning process. It identifies any outstanding obligations, including sites that were subject to Section 18 consents, sites requiring rehabilitation, and commitments made under heritage agreements, and documents what has been achieved. For Traditional Owner groups, mine closure also presents an opportunity to reaffirm connections to Country through custodial handback processes. Australian Cultural Heritage Management provides mine closure heritage assessment services and can help proponents meet regulatory requirements while delivering culturally meaningful outcomes for Traditional Owners. Learn more about our culturally informed mine closure planning services.
