This map collection is part of a project which looks at the signficance of 20th century pastoral infrastructure and their names for the present-day cultural heritage of North Queensland.
Anthropological fieldwork in the early 1930s showed a Mitchell River landscape that was densely filled with named places (Sharp 1937), prior to pastoral occupation of tribal lands. Some of these names referred to significant ‘story’ places, or roles as ‘increase’ or ‘poison’ places or ‘baby’(conception) places. These locales and some of their roles are still largely extant and an active sense of ownership of them is held by relevant local tribal groups.
More recent ieldwork has shown that the overall density of known place names has decreased over the years (Taylor 1999). Pastoral infrastructure (yards, bores, wells, gates) have become some of the most significant landmarks and named places in the landscape from the mid-20th century onwards. Within the area of the Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire some of these latter locations have become homelands. Homelands are largely seasonal settlement sites, that are owned by families who have held ‘native' title to these tracts of country since the time before European colonisation.
Historically, people whose traditional country is on pastoral properties adjacent to Kowanyama such as Koolatah, Dunbar or Rutland Plains have had limited access to their homeland country. There are few opportunities for them to build homes, beyond offers by pastoralists for them to camp at weekends or on school holidays at certain places in the dry season. Knowledge of traditional places in these landscapes is also more attenuated as families have been dispersed through towns in the wider region such as Normanton or Chillagoe or Kowanyama, or beyond in Mareeba or Cairns.
All of the maps in this collection were used in planning work by people in Kowanyama between 2000 and 2007. They were consulted about separate natural resource management, pest management, homeland, and cultural heritage management plans. It was never possible to camp and hold meetings 'on country' because of the rough terrain and poor trafficability of much of the lower Mitchell River valley. Old people and senior Elders could not tolerate any 4WD journey along unformed 'bush' tracks over the distances that were required. These same people were also the most important correspondents for planning work because of the landscape knowledge that they held. Knowledge that had been maintained over recent generations by some of them through their work in the wider pastoral industry of the region as either cattle drovers or ringers.
Widely known places are recorded in the 'Places' map in this collection. Originally, about 25% of the records had no name attached to them and just a site type record such as 'well' or 'bore' or 'yard'. Names were added to most of these places after examination of their locations on historical maps and after discussions with Elders.