Celebrating book release

The Woodside-operated Pluto LNG Joint Venture proudly supported Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation’s book, Living Knowledge: The Plants of Murujuga, to preserve in writing the knowledge of the traditional uses of plants for future generations.

The book is the result of surveys conducted at Pluto LNG facilities in 2008, 2009 and 2011, after Traditional Custodians requested that Woodside support studies into traditional uses of plants in the area.

The scope of the project including collecting and recording ethnobotanical traditional knowledge, matching it to scientific knowledge and lodge plant specimens in the WA Herbarium for future use and reference.

The fieldwork group - consisting of representatives from five Traditional Custodian groups, the Ngarluma, Yindjibarndi, Yaburara, Mardudhunera and Wong-Goo-Tt-Oo, the project botanist, linguist and a Woodside representative - visited sites across the Burrup Peninsula, collected plant samples and recorded stories of their traditional uses.

The results of the surveys were collated over the past year, resulting in the book being published in September 2021.

“This is a tremendous effort over many years by all involved, and to see the final product come to life as an invaluable information source for our Rangers and the broader community is a great result,” Mr Jeffries said.

“What makes this book even more special is the collaboration by our five Traditional Custodian groups which form the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, the Yaburara, Ngarluma, Yindjibarndi, Mardudhunera and Wong-Goo-Tt-Oo.

“To have everyone working together to share and protect the traditional knowledge of Murujuga is very special and is why I remain very confident that we will secure World Heritage Listing for the area in 2023,” said Mr Jeffries.

Woodside CEO and Managing Director Meg O’Neill reiterated the importance of protecting and learning from Aboriginal heritage, knowledge and culture.

“This book is the result of many years of hard work, dedication and commitment to recording and preserving the various plant species, but more importantly, the knowledge of the Ngarda-Ngarli,” Ms O’Neill said.

“We are delighted to have been invited to take part in this project and look forward to continuing to work with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation on other projects, and to contributing to the sharing of knowledge of Aboriginal culture, heritage and history,” said Ms O’Neill.

Living Knowledge: The Plants of Murujuga retails at $45.95 and is currently available for purchase in person at the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation headquarters, or by calling 08 9144 4112.