Shipton's Flat Scoping Trip

None of us were quite sure what to expect and although we had a rough idea that the Bana Yarrilji required an ablutions building and perhaps a small shelter, this was the extent of our knowledge. Read about the team's first trip to Shipton's Flat.

Posted by Lizzy Skinner to Shipton's Flat Basic Infrastructure project, 21st August 2009, 5:27pm

Our scoping trip began with a cross-cultural training course in Brisbane, where we spent two days developing a basic understanding of aboriginal culture, history and social interaction. Whilst only two days in duration this workshop gave us such an appreciation of the people we would be working with, and the context we would be working within.

Alongside us during this training was the EWB team from Bentinck Island who had only last year completed a very similar project to our own. Having never undertaken an activity like this before their insights and experience were incredibly valuable and raised many issues that we hadn’t even considered during our pre-departure meetings back in Melbourne.

Following this weekend we boarded a plane to Cairns, and the next day we made the four hour journey north, along the Bloomfield Track, to the traditional land of the Bana Yarrilji, Shiptons Flat.

None of us were quite sure what to expect and although we had a rough idea that the Bana Yarrilji required an ablutions building and perhaps a small shelter, this was the extent of our knowledge.

What we found when we arrived was a site surrounded by fairly dense rainforest, typical of the Daintree, with a camp consisting of a tarp strung up between a few ironwood trees within a stone’s throw of the amazing Little Annan river.

We were made extremely welcome by the local elders, Marilyn and Peter, and also by some of the young men from the nearby community of Wudjal Wudjal, previously an aboriginal mission, where many of the Bana Yarrilji are living at present.

This welcome involved a smoking ceremony, a ritual where guests gather around a fire and are enveloped in the smoke from the paperbark tree, with words spoken to the spirits who live in the area, in order to protect visitors and ensure their safety.

 It wasn’t long after this we had our first contact with the local wildlife. Upon lifting up  a piece of corrugated iron, a local contractor who had arrived to quote on clearing some trees spotted a snake, swiftly picked it up, put it in a plastic bag and proceeded to walk around the site with the snake firmly tucked away in his back pocket. Although I had complete confidence in the protection afforded by the smoking ceremony, I kept a close watch on the ground for the remainder of the day!

Our consultations with Marilyn, Peter and the young men and women of the Bana Yarrilji took place on site and gave us an idea of the scope of work we needed to address and an indication of just what the Bana Yarrilji were expecting from the project.

Whilst we discussed practical requirements for the proposed ablutions building, the highlight of this process was being exposed to the greater vision that the Bana Yarrilji have for their land. Many of those involved in the consultation had been through difficult times with alcohol and drug issues and a looked for a return to their traditional land, along with the promotion of small scale eco-tourism to serve as a pathway to start the healing process.

The knowledge that the ablutions building we are creating alongside the Bana Yarrilji will be the first step in a much larger plan served only to increase its significance and reinforce our efforts to assist the Bana Yarrilji in designing and constructing a building which effectively serves a purpose and also reflects the character of both the local people and environment.

Now we’ve returned to Melbourne the real work has begun and already we have made some really exciting progress from both planning and design perspectives. Although small in size, we hope the building to be designed and constructed by the Bana Yarrilji and ourselves will make a big impact and a step towards the Bana Yarrilji’s long term vision for their land.

Posted 2 Years, 5 Months ago by Naisan Yazdani

how did you get in contact with the town of Bana Yarrilji in the first place (with Marilyn and Peter)? Did you know them from before? How did you decide on where to go?

Posted 2 Years, 4 Months ago by Caitlin Pilkington

Hi Naisan,

Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT) in Cairns has been working with the Bana Yarralji Bubu group for some time now, supporting them in developing their plans for their land. CAT and EWB have a partnership so that is how EWB got involved in this project, when CAT and the community requested engineering help.

Please log in to post a comment