Video Report: The Fight to Save Murujuga

by Stephen Long and Elinor Johnston-Leek

Share

An on-the-ground video investigation into the priceless aboriginal rock art at Murujuga, and the damaging effect of gas industry emissions.

The Murujuga Rock Art is a unique 40,000-year-old collection of rock engravings on the Dampier Archipelago in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

These irreplaceable petroglyphs are twice as old as France’s Lascaux cave paintings and eight times older than the pyramids.

Murujuga is nationally heritage-listed and could soon be recognised by UNESCO for its world heritage value.

But it is facing destruction from acid rain caused by nearby gas processing. Gas processing that does not need to happen at Murujuga.

The new Australian Environment Minister Murray Watt, however, decided to approve a 50-year extension to Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project. This could have devastating consequences for the rock art.

A video report presented by Stephen Long, Senior Fellow, and Contributing Editor at the Australia Institute on Ngarluma land.

Cinematography and Editing by Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer at the Australia Institute

Featuring:

  • Dr Benjamin Smith, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Western Australia
  • Dr Ken Mulvaney, Archaeologist
  • Raelene Cooper, Mardudhunera Traditional Custodian
  • Esther Joy Montgomery, Aboriginal Elder
  • Tracey Moffatt, Acclaimed Australian Artist
  • Fiona Hall, Acclaimed Australian Artist

Between the Lines Newsletter

The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.

You might also like

Our crisis of integrity looms in the Pacific

by Elizabeth Morison in The Canberra Times

“An Albanese Labor government will restore Australia’s climate leadership, and listen and act on Pacific island warnings of the existential threat of climate change.” Despite a clear election campaign commitment to listen to Pacific Island nations and act on climate change, the Australian government continues to enable and encourage new and expanded fossil fuel projects. When it