The significance of The Gully in Katoomba, a declared Aboriginal Place, and the efforts of those to achieve that declaration, has been recognised with The Gully Traditional Owners recently winning a prestigious award for demonstrating leadership and excellence in indigenous community building.
On Monday 17 November 2008, representatives of The Gully Traditional Owners (GTO) received a Premier’s Excellence Award in the category of Building Leadership in Aboriginal Communities.
The Award recognises the efforts of The Gully Traditional Owners (GTO) in working collaboratively with Council to establish a co-management arrangement for The Gully.
GTO representatives, Merle Williams and Sharyn Halls received the award from the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, The Hon Paul Lynch MP at the Award presentation in Sydney.
Merle Williams, a Gundungurra elder and member of The GTO, said, “This award is for the many people involved in the protection of The Gully, the new cooperative management arrangement and those that have made a valuable contribution to The Gully being declared as an Aboriginal Place.”
On 5 August 2008, Council resolved to form the Gully Cooperative Management Committee consisting of representatives of The Gully Traditional Owners and Council to manage the Gully on behalf of the whole community.
Sharyn Halls, a member of The GTO said, “The co-operative management of The Gully is a great outcome in recognising the significance of the place to the Aboriginal community.
The Gully Traditional Owners are delighted that Council has taken this step to formalise the involvement of Aboriginal people in the management of The Gully, including the decision-making relating to land management activities.”
The Gully Traditional Owners have been meeting with Blue Mountains City Council since 2006 to liaise on issues regarding the management of The Gully. In addition to the Aboriginal heritage values The Gully is valued because of its significant flora and fauna, its recreational, social and cultural values and it’s location in the headwaters of a drinking water catchment.
Councillor Terri Hamilton, who has had a long involvement of supporting The Gully Traditional Owners, said, “The community leadership and respect of the Aboriginal elders involved has led to the first formal management structure involving a local Aboriginal community and local government for an Aboriginal Place in NSW.
The GTO has provided a way forward in partnership with Council to ensure the land is managed consistent with being an Aboriginal Place.”
The Gully, an area of approximately 90 Hectares located adjacent to the residential and town centre of Katoomba, was declared an Aboriginal Place on the 17 November 2002, under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, in recognition of its special significance to Aboriginal culture. The Gully is culturally significant for its pre European contact Aboriginal archaeological sites, its physical remnants of post contact Aboriginal settlement 1894-1957.
The Gully Co-operative Management Committee is made up of representatives of the Aboriginal community and key Council staff. The Aboriginal committee members are former Gully residents, or descendants of Gully residents and drawn from The Gully Traditional Owners Inc.
The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the Hon Paul Lynch MP launched the Premier’s Excellence Awards Recognising Leadership in Aboriginal Communities in 2008 recognising that Aboriginal community strength and commitment is key to making sustained improvements in health, education and social outcomes for Aboriginal people.
Mayor, Cr Adam Searle, said “The Gully is seen as an example of co-existence of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the past and therefore significant to the ongoing process of reconciliation in the local community.
Given the role of Blue Mountains City Council in the eviction of Gully people, to build a racetrack in 1957, the Gully Traditional Owners have brought the true spirit of reconciliation to the table in the interest of managing the Gully consistent with cultural values.
The co-operative management structure will ensure that the Aboriginal community has an on-going, formal and meaningful role in the management of the Gully and that all residents that have an interest in the Upper Kedumba River catchment, will be consulted on activities and future management of the community land in the catchment.”