Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Online Portal
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Online Portal
© Tourism Queensland
An online database has revolutionised the availability of information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage to Traditional Owners, land users and the general public.
In 2019, more than 27,000 search requests were processed through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Online Portal which brings together reports, site cards, images, correspondence, and location coordinates for more than 52,000 sites and places amassed over more than 50 years.
The simple and intuitive map tool provides access to information about cultural heritage studies and Designated Landscape Areas; site locations; whether a particular area has been the subject of a cultural heritage management plan; as well as information about cultural heritage bodies and details of statutory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parties.
Under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 and the Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act 2003, this information is critical for assessing and managing the impacts of land use activities on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage.
The web-based system, opening availability of information once limited to physical searches of paper archives, has become a vital tool for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ participation in cultural heritage management.
Benefits are proving wide-ranging. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders can better “see” their previously recorded cultural assets. They can now manage their data to ensure their cultural heritage interests are clearly identified by external stakeholders wanting to use the land where these assets are found. This leads to greater certainty in the decision-making process surrounding development in their traditional country.
Additionally, there is a strong appreciation from within and beyond communities on the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage.
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