Protecting Koonalda Cave

The preservation of the culturally significant Koonalda Cave in South Australia’s Far West Coast (FWC) region will be bolstered by the installation of new security cameras and the implementation of a comprehensive’ management plan. In 2022, the National Heritage listed cave was broken into and vandalised by unknown culprits, with the installation of these cameras a direct response to this incident. These new security measures were enabled by a $400,000 Australian Heritage Grant, facilitating the setup of remotely monitored cameras, recording 24 hours a day that can assist in prosecuting people who illegally access this site. Koonalda Cave sits within the Nullarbor Wilderness Protection Area, around 80km east of the West Australian border, containing cultural heritage “highly vulnerable” to human damage and at risk from environmental changes. Koonalda Cave has been closed off to the public since the late 1980s and is of particular significance to the Mirning people, featuring exceptionally well-preserved markings and evidence of flint mining and transformed contemporary understandings of Aboriginal art and archaeology in Australia. In 1956, archaeologist Dr Alexander Gallus dated the archaeological remains and finger markings at Koonalda Cave to be from 22,000 years prior, with later dating via radiocarbon technology confirming this, which was revolutionary for the wider public’s understanding of Australia’s timeline. During the development of the plan for the cave, Aboriginal groups with staked interest in the site were consulted, including the Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation (FWCAC), which holds native title rights over the area. This episode features Mirning and Yankuntjyara man Clem Lawrie, who has strong familial connection to the cave, particularly through his mother’s side, and holds strong connection to the wider Nullarbor Plains.