Great Sandy Strait

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Celebrating and Defending the Great Sandy Strait

The Mary River system is known as ‘Moonaboola’ to the Butchulla people and is of immense cultural importance to them, as it is to the Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) and Wakka Wakka people.

Butchulla country extends from the Burrum River in the north, to Tin Can Bay in the South. It covers the Mary River west to the Bauple Mountains and east to Fraser Island and the Great Sandy Strait. The Mary River has been a continual source of freshwater and food for them. In parts, it has formed a border between respective lands. It has provided cultural pathways; the river and valley area being used as a ‘freeway’ by many indigenous groups.

The concerns of the Butchulla community with regard to the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam are related to the impacts a reduction of environmental flows from the Mary River would have on the Great Sandy Strait, and how changes in the river would affect sacred sites and traditional practices. They are acutely aware of the importance of floods, both large and small, for river and estuary health. The affects of infrastructure already existing on the river have been keenly observed, and the feeling is unanimous that a further reduction in flows would be devastating for both the estuary and Butchulla culture in general.

Environmental flows:

These concerns can be divided into two areas:

1. Loss of floods and the impact on fish populations, as explained by Norman Barney:

“We know what this area was like. This is a massive breeding ground for all types of animals, from sharks, to squid, to fish, to crabs, dugong. It’s massive. Part of the breeding cycle of crustaceans and fish. Lot’s of turtles, whales – used to watch them all the time when we were kids. Used to get turtles in the gutters. Migration of stingrays that travel up the river to breed … The flow of freshwater after rains is very important. Yesterday morning (after a recent flood) it was black at the mouth. It took a week to get there. Need that freshwater. The big floods might cover up the seagrass with sediment, but the small floods flush it away again. The small floods are vital. It’s the same with the oysters beds. Need floods to flush, to wash things. It purifies the water, so it’s very important.

“With heavy rains, flood waters extend across to McKenzie’s jetty (Fraser Island) and flush out the barra and trumpeter … they would come out of the creeks and they were big breeders and they only come out after heavy rain. That is what we know. The big jew fish come out after heavy rain. The barrier (barrage) has stopped this. I can tell you now that we don’t seem to get as many barra. Their spawning ground is affected. I know where the barra are. They sit there. There’s some massive fish. These are big breeders and the only time they come out of the river is with the flush. They go to Fraser Island, right along the east coast. You can fish off shore and catch them, that’s how close they are.

“Us fellas that used to walk along those mangroves out to those mudflats as kids … the small crustaceans, flounder, small sole fish, that travel along those little gutters, edges through the mud. It’s a massive breeding ground for all types of animals – squid. Don’t see soldier crabs anymore. And the whales – they’re resting. Whales at the mouth of the Mary River. Could reach out and touch them. They sit there and wait for the tide. They spray you and soak you like they’re playing with you. She was there with her baby. Don’t know what’s going to happen (with the dam), but it’s not going to be good. It will impact our way of life. It’s as simple as that.” (Norman Barney pers. comm. January, 2008)

2. The impact on dolphin populations, as explained by Malcolm Burns:

“The dolphin is the totem of the Owen Clan. It is our totem because it was our forefather’s totem, and they’ve passed it on to us. If they (the dolphins) died off, it would affect a lot of the indigenous people, because they depend (spiritually) on all of those mammals. If the dolphin went away because they couldn’t eat here, then it would make us sick too, because our spirit is going away. If it goes, it will take our spirit with it. Then we’ll be gone, too. We will be a lost people.” (Malcolm Burns pers. comm. January 2008)

Sacred Sites:

A build-up of sediment at the mouth of the river in recent years is already affecting sacred sites along the river, as Norman Barney explains:

“Significant sites, up those creeks, crossing areas where they camped, places where they sharpened their spear tips, things like that. There are areas where they travelled to go to ceremonies with other tribes, other clan groups. Very, very significant.

“There is an area up there shown by my great uncle – he showed me the older areas. And with this one you can see what happens when you tamper with things. You can’t see anything until after some heavy rain. Then you’ll get to see it because it washes the sediment off. These sorts of things can cause problems with it. It’s out in the water. It disappears and comes back. Only way you can see it is after some flood. Washes away and exposes itself … that won’t be happening with the dam. Don’t think there’ll be enough water. It’s been there for centuries, thousands of years. It’s there, it could affect that. It’s very significant.

“There are some (ancient fish) traps around there, too. They will not be there after this dam goes through.” (Norman Barney pers. comm. January 2008)

Traditional practices:

Ancient reminders of Aboriginal heritage span the greater Mary, and these include crossing areas where people swam across the Mary to Fraser Island, and axe-making sites along the banks of the river. The Butchulla people believe the dam would have an impact on their traditional ways, and have expressed concern about what this will mean for their future.

“A drop in fish numbers would make traditional fishing knowledge on spear and rope making harder to pass on.” (Norman Barney pers. comm. January 2008)

Malcolm Burns describes his childhood growing up on the Great Sandy Strait, and fears his grandchildren will not have the same experience:

“As a Butchulla kid growing up here, we used to go out there and cut spears down, our fathers would make spears for us … we used to get mud crabs, sand crabs, all along the beach. Old tracks the old people used to use to go to the oyster banks are silted up. We used to walk along there as kids, watching them dig worms. The oyster bed down the bottom of Sea eagles Road – you used to be able to walk there from Urangan beach. Now you can’t. All the seagrass is gone, too.

“All those things will be lost to us if things get any worse. We won’t be able to take our grandchildren down there, it will all be gone, there will be no oyster beds, I believe. Don’t think there’s many turtles there now. Use to be able to get them any time we wanted, but now its getting hard. With the dam we won’t get any turtle. We don’t know what’s going to happen. But that’s the whole thing – no one knows exactly, and you won’t be able to change it back.” (Malcolm Burns pers. comm. January, 2008)

The Mary River is considered by all Butchulla people to be the life-blood of their country and they feel that the dam poses a threat to the survival of their culture. This has very serious ramifications, both culturally and socially, and must be taken seriously by the proponent. The importance of the Mary River and its estuary to the cultural heritage of the Butchulla people needs to be recognized, and the appropriate respect must be given to them in the consultation process.

For further information, please contact Norman Barney or Malcolm Burns at the Dhugamin CDEP Pty Ltd. on (07) 4124 6908.