Calga Cultural Landscape Heritage Listed

1 October 2019

One of NSW’s most sacred Aboriginal sites will be protected forever with the NSW Government announcing its State heritage listing today.

The Calga Aboriginal Cultural Landscape on the Central Coast is a symbolic and ritualised sandstone amphitheatre shaped like a womb.

It is of exceptional social and spiritual importance to Aboriginal people as the sacred birthplace of the creation deity, the emu-man, Daramulan.

NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister responsible for Heritage Don Harwin says the listing has strong community support.

“I’m delighted the Calga Aboriginal Cultural Landscape will be heritage protected as this remarkable site is such a sacred place for our First Nations people, particularly the Darkinjung, Guringai and Mingaletta communities,” said Mr Harwin.

“This landscape is particularly revered by Aboriginal women as a link to their ancestors as well as a key resource for teaching future generations of Aboriginal children, particularly girls, about their culture and spirituality.

“There has been enormous support from the community for this listing as the Calga landscape has profound social and spiritual heritage significance,” said Mr Harwin.

MLC for the Central Coast and Hunter, Taylor Martin says it’s a real credit to those that have been passionate about this listing for many years.

“The Government has listened to the community who have campaigned over the past decade to secure the recognition and protection of this sacred landscape. I congratulate them on their efforts,” said Mr Martin.

Calga is a place of lore and ceremony and includes shared spaces for groups to gather and special gender-restricted areas for traditional ceremony by women which will now be preserved and passed on to future generations.

To find out more information visit the State Heritage Register.

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