There are no registered Aboriginal heritage sites affecting the land.
We have however identified one possible heritage place in the locality. This has been identified as a gnamma hole, which is a water source in a gentle depression. The place was referenced in a survey that was undertaken in 1999 by McDonald, Hales and Associates. Based on the available information in the survey, the location of the gnamma hole was unclear, though it was understood to be in the southern portion of Lot 503.
As part of the background investigative works for the site, we engaged Brad Goode & Associates Consulting Anthropologists and Archaeologists. Through this process, Ms Jacquline Harris, who is a consulting archaeologist, located the gnamma hole and its exact co-ordinates are now known and recorded.
Ms Harris subsequently returned to the site with Mr Wayne Webb, who is a local Elder and the main contact for the local Noongar people, the First Nations custodians of the land. Mr Webb confirmed the gnamma hole’s identification and acknowledged that it is likely the only one in the area.
It remains unclear if the gnamma hole has any specific Aboriginal heritage significance.
Mr Webb requested that the gnamma hole remain in a natural state and noted that it does not require any specific works around it. Rather it was preferred that a 7 m radius area around the gnamma hole be set aside and protected from development.
In our plans for Gnarabup Village on Lot 503, we have implemented meaningful steps to respect this request. We have proposed 400 sqm of public open space to be set aside (significantly larger than the 7 m buffer requested by Mr Webb) to protect the integrity of the gnamma hole.
Gnarabup is the site of thousands of years of Indigenous history and remains a place of significance for Noongar First Nations people. We aim at every stage of the project to engage respectfully with the traditional custodians of the Gnarabup Project site and to protect the site’s cultural heritage.
There is a gnamma hole on one of the sites (Lot 503). We have worked with both archaeologists and local traditional custodians and it remains unclear if the gnamma hole has specific Aboriginal heritage significance.
After consultation with the traditional custodians of the area, the development will protect the area as requested.
The gnamma hole is located in the southern part of Lot 503.
No, the gnamma hole is not located near the hotel. The hotel is situated on Lot 783, a significant distance from Lot 503, where the gnamma hole is located.
Yes. The traditional custodians in the area requested no development within a 7 m radius of the gnamma hole; the project has left a considerably larger area (400 sqm) undeveloped around the site as open space.
Once the gnamma hole had been located, the consulting archaeologist, Ms Jacquline Harris, returned to the site with Mr Wayne Webb, a local Noongar Elder representing the traditional custodians in the area. Mr Webb confirmed the identification of the gnamma hole and offered guidance on how the site could best be protected and respected as part of the development.
Our proposal significantly exceeds Mr Webb’s guidance of no development within a 7 m radius of the gnamma hole.
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