Rock Art Strategy

Murujuga Rock Art Strategy

With an estimated one to two million petroglyphs, Murujuga is home to one of the largest, densest and most diverse collections of rock art in the world, and is of continuing cultural and spiritual significance to the Traditional Owners and Custodians. It also has significant state, national and international heritage value. Representing the Traditional Custodians of Murujuga, Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation is working in partnership with the Government of Western Australia in the ongoing protection of Murujuga’s rock art.

As well as culturally significant rock art, Murujuga is also home to industry that contributes significantly to the local, state and national economy and employment.

Concern that the rock art could be damaged by industrial air emissions has led to a number of independent scientific studies and rock art monitoring since the mid-2000s. Recent independent reviews identified a number of improvements that could be made to the Rock Art Monitoring Program to provide more reliable information about the impacts of air emissions on the rock art.

The Murujuga Rock Art Strategy builds on previous work to deliver an improved approach to monitoring, analysis and management that will be implemented collaboratively across the program to protect Murujuga’s rock art.

As part of the strategy, Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation are implementing the Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program to understand if the rock art is being impacted by human activities.

Read about the Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program at: www.wa.gov.au/murujuga

Relevant publications (listed most recent first):

2024:

Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program initiates 3-month LiDAR campaign

Rock Art Monitoring Rangers achieve first micro-credentials

2023:

MAC media release: World’s largest study of air quality impacts on rock art engravings delivers first-year report (December 2023)

Summary – Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program First-Year Report (December 2023)

Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program First Year Report (December 2023)

MAC media release: Rangers help create rock art monitoring qualifications (November 2023)

Article by the Chair of the Murujuga Rock Art Strategy Professor Stephen van Leeuwen (April 2023)

MAC article: Fieldwork underway for the Murujuga Rock Art Monitoring Program (March 2023)

2022:

FAQs about the Murujuga Rock Art Strategy and Monitoring Program (2022)

2021:

Murujuga Rock Art Strategy fast facts brochure (August 2021)