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• Aboriginal site rehabilitation at Lake Mackenzie

  

  The land around present-day Lake Mackenzie, high on the Central Plateau, is known to be rich in Aboriginal heritage sites. In 2012, a low-water survey revealed 24 heritage sites. Most of the stone artefacts from these sites had been washed out and dispersed from the shoreline, however, one site contained in-situ cultural deposits.

  Laser scanning and drone monitoring of this site highlighted it that it was actively eroding due to a combination of waves, frost and water seepage, resulting in artefacts being dispersed.

  A post-glacial sand bank at Lake Mackenzie that contains stone artefacts thought to be in their undisturbed location. This site is being rehabilitated to prevent further erosion. In consultation with Tasmanian Aboriginal people, a project has been co-developed to stop further erosion and rehabilitate the site.

  In early 2025, Pakana Services will start work on a 100 metre long tea-tree wall that will protect the sand bank from wave energy and assist dune drainage. Stakes for the wall were collected in May 2024 and sharpened. They've been drying out and hardening at our Gowrie Park workshop. During construction, additional tea-tree brush filler material with leaves and seed pods will be collected and used to complete the wall. This method has been successfully used at coastal sites around Tasmania and forms part of the site's restoration plan, developed in collaboration with Wild Ecology and the consulting Aboriginal Heritage Officer. The tea-tree resource being used in the project has been obtained through with cooperation of Sustainable Timber Tasmania and TasNetworks.

  Caleb Pedder (Aboriginal Heritage Officer) selecting tea-trees for the new protective wall.

  Sharpened tea-tree stakes prepared by contractor Pakana Services. Once dried, they will be used in a new wall to protect a heritage site at Lake Mackenzie.

  Once the wall is constructed, stone artefacts that are dispersed below the sand bank will be collected under permit and returned to the site. This activity will be led by the Aboriginal Heritage Officer and involve Tasmanian Aboriginal people - if you're interested in participating, please get in contact with Greg.

  At the same time, ‘simulated’ artefacts made from porcelain containing microchips will be laid out below the rehabilitated site and monitored to better understand the effect of changing lake levels on artefact dispersal.