Heritage-listed Plumwood Mountain handed back to Aboriginal community.
Monga, NSW – 17th September 2024:
Historic Landback – Plumwood Incorporated and the Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council are proud to announce that Plumwood Mountain, a 120-hectare heritage-listed private property, has been handed back to the Walbunja people of the Yuin Nation. This is the first time a private heritage-listed property has been gifted to an Aboriginal community. A landback party will be held on the property this coming Sunday to celebrate this ground-breaking event.
Plumwood Mountain is heritage listed because of its historic, environmental and cultural significance, and its association with a prominent Australian. It was the home of the late Val Plumwood, a famous environmental philosopher, notorious for surviving a crocodile attack, and a fierce forest activist. She protected Plumwood Mountain’s Gondwana rainforests under one of the state’s first Voluntary Conservation Agreements. She always saw herself as a steward of Plumwood Mountain, not its ‘owner’, and wanted to share the inspiration it gave to her. For over a decade, Plumwood Inc., a non-for-profit organisation that manages her estate, has carried out her wishes and hosted public events and residencies on the mountain.
This landback marks an important step for Plumwood Inc. Its president, Affrica Taylor, explains. “After the Black Summer bushfires, we sought help and advice from the Walbunja Rangers from Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council. Building a relationship with the rangers and community Elders was eye-opening. We saw that they have the cultural knowledge and practical know-how to care for this Country in ways we will never have. We also realised we couldn’t keep promoting environmental stewardship at Plumwood Mountain without returning this land to the descendants of its original custodians.”
For the local Aboriginal community, Plumwood Mountain is a special place of healing. Ros Carriage, the CEO of Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council, is very aware of its importance. “This Land is part of our songline. It has cultural, spiritual and environmental significance for all Aboriginal people from the coastal and inland areas around here.” The handback is an opportunity to bring people back on Country and ensure the wellbeing of both. “The Elders are looking forward to taking our young people to Plumwood Mountain to teach them how to care for the land, the plants and animals. It’s a place where we can pass on our cultural traditions to the next generation, and ensure them a strong future.”
Through their collaborative relationship, members of Plumwood Inc. and the Lands Council have built a shared vision for Plumwood Mountain. They want this landback to be a model for others. They see it as a way of walking the talk and turning good intentions for Reconciliation and Land Rights into a practical reality.
