May 30 - June 5, 2021: Issue 496

 

The Resolute Beach Loop Track At West Head In Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park

With Glenys and our friend, Joe Mills - photos by Kevin Murray.

The Resolute Track, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, is a great way to see two major Aboriginal sites and Resolute Beach. The return-style walk starts from Resolute picnic area and heads down to Resolute Beach, passing a Red Hands Cave and an Aboriginal engraving site. The Resolute Track uses management trails and bush tracks which have views over the sea as they pass through heath, rainforest and bushland.

During Reconciliation Week 2021 this is a lovely tribute to our own original custodians. 

The dates for NRW are the same each year; May 27th to June 3rd.

These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

May 27th 1967 On this day, Australia’s most successful referendum saw more than 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise them in the Census.

June 3rd 1992  On this day, the Australian High Court delivered the Mabo decision, the culmination of Eddie Koiki Mabo’s challenge to the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (land belonging to no one) and leading to the legal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of lands. This decision paved the way for Native Title.

More than 350 Aboriginal sites have been recorded in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. They include rock engravings, burial sites, axe grinding grooves and places that show evidence of Aboriginal occupation. For many visitors, these sites and other relics are the most visible reminders of the area's rich, living Aboriginal culture.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park was one of the first places in Australia to enact regulations for the protection of these sites - from 1903:

Department of Lands,
Sydney, 30th of September, 1903.
BY-LAWS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF KURING-GAI CHASE.

HIS Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, having approved of  the following By-laws for the management of the land at Hawkesbury River (Cowan Creek and Pitt Water),known as Kuring-gai Chase,area about 36,300 acres, dedicated 14th December, 1894, for public recreation, such By-laws are published for public information, in accordance with the provisions of the " Public Parks Act, 1902 "

W. P. CRICK.

Proceedings of Trustees.

1. Regular meetings shall be held on the second Friday of each month, at 4 p m.

2. All meetings shall be called by circular, posted three days before the day of meeting.

8. A quorum for the transaction of business will consist of five members,

4. The Trustees shall annually elect a President and Vice-President, but in their absence from any meeting any other Trustee may preside.

5. The annual meeting shall be held in the month of July of each year, at which meeting the President, Vice-President, and such other officers and committee as may be approved shall be elected.

6. Any vacancy shall be filled up at the next regular meeting after the occurrence of such vacancy.

7. No resolution passed at any meeting shall be rescinded, unless upon notice given and entered upon the notice paper.

8. All motions Involving the expenditure of money (other than ordinary maintenance) shall appear upon the circular calling the meeting.

9. The Secretary shall keep a proper record of the proceedings of each meeting.

General.

10. No person shall, without the permission of the Trustees, cut, remove, or deface any rocks, soil, trees, shrubs, ferns, palms, plants, seats, gates, posts, fences, or notices, or write thereon, or shall affix any bill or stencil mark to any rock, ferae, seat, gate, post, fence, wall, pillar, railing, or to any vessel, building, or other erection within the Chase.

11. No person, unless authorised by the Trustees, shall deface or remove any aboriginal drawings or chippings on rocks, dig up or remove any banks of shells and refuse (presumably aboriginal kitchen midden) in search of skulls, bones, or other aboriginal remains.

12. No person, unless authorised by the Trustees, shall use or carry firearms within the Chase, or bring sporting dogs into the same, or interfere with, or capture, or destroy any birds, or animals therein. 

13. No person, unless authorised by the Trustees, shall depasture any horses, cattle, sheep, or stock of any kind'in the Chase.

14. All pigs or goats found within the Chase may be destroyed or impounded by any employee or other authorised person.

15. No person, unless authorised by the Trustees, shall expose any article for sale in the Chase.

16. No person in a state of intoxication or of reputed bad character shall enter or remain within the Chase, and no person shall behave in a disorderly or offensive manner, or use bad language, or commit any act of indecency therein, and any person causing annoyance or inconvenience may be removed by any duly qualified person.

17. No person shall, within public view, bathe in any waters upon the Chase, unless in proper bathing costume.

18. Any person offending against any of the regulations shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £10 (ten pounds).

19. Any Trustee of Kuung-gai Chase, or any authorised officer or employee of the Trustees, or any member of the Police Force, shall be the person or persons authorised to enforce the foregoing regulations.

Under the Common Seal of the Trustees affixed this 14th day of August, 1903, in the presence of

(l.s)

J. GARRARD, President.

FRED. J. W. HARRISON, Secretary.

Note.—In lieu of the Regulations published In the Gazette of 11th December, 1900, which are hereby cancelled. BY-LAWS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF KURING-GAI CHASE. (1903, September 30). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001), p. 7254. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220996577

This week a very special walk through this beautiful place, with many thanks to Kevin, Glenys and Joe.