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Gubur Dhaura
Gubur Dhaura, also known as Gubur Dhaura Heritage Park is a small public park and historical site located in the Canberra suburb of Franklin, Australian Capital Territory. Gubur Dhaura means red ochre in the Ngunnawal language. Human activity at Gubur Dhaura is believed to span over 5000 years, with site used for quarrying activities by both the Ngunnawal and Ngarigu peoples and early European settlers. The site was listed on the Australian Capital Territory Heritage Register in 2011. It was opened to the public the same year following rehabilitation of native vegetation, construction of walking tracks as well as interpretive displays and signage providing information on its history.
The park is located on an ironstone ridge, rising 642 m (2,106 ft) above sea level and 31 m (102 ft) above the surrounding basin. It covers an area of 6 ha (15 acres) and is a short walk from both Manning Clark North and Mapleton Avenue light rail stations
Gubur Dhaura's elevated location sits between the watersheds of Ginninderra Creek and Sullivans Creek. Views of all the major features of the surrounding terrain made it a significant campsite for Aboriginal peoples of the area. These landmarks and panoramic vistas are evidence of the site's cultural importance, as a location for teaching the spiritual connection to the land, as well as for ceremony. The location also provided a campsite from where food sources (such as herds of kangaroos) could be spotted, as well as monitoring movements of other tribal groups.
Exposed ironstone outcrops along the ridgeline and clay deposits provided a significant source of red and yellow and white ochres. Archeological investigations of the site during the 1980s and 1990s uncovered some 200 artefacts that indicate Gubur Dhaura was an important site for ochre extraction and processing. It is the only such site in the ACT where lithic technology, including grindstones, has been found in proximity to ochre resources.
While the site is primarily associated with the Ngunnawal people, it is believed that other Indigenous clans in the surrounding area were invited to procure ochres at Gubur Dhaura for trade and ceremonial purposes. Anthropologists note however, the lands surrounding the modern city of Canberra sit within the cultural boundaries of several Indigenous groups, including the Ngarigo and Walgalu peoples, who may also have legitimate claim as custodians of this place. Red ochres in particular were used extensively in Walgalu men's initiation ceremonies.
The first European settler to claim ownership of the site was John Winter in 1861, who named the property "Red Hill". Winter built a house in what is now the neighbouring suburb of Harrison, a short distance away. A lease was taken up by Henry Gozzard in 1871 that took in much of the ridgeline itself. Gozzard granted rights to mine iron ore at the site in 1896. While this venture was unsuccessful, exploration of the site discovered significant deposits of kaolinite (pipe clay). A number of pits were excavated to extract this resource which was used by local settlers to whitewash houses and chimneys. The geology of the ridgeline suggested that gold may have also been present and there is evidence of further prospecting and excavation at the site around the turn of the century.
Well Station Road, an early thoroughfare linking the various leases and homesteads in the Ginninderra district was constructed some time after 1898, crossing the Red Hill ridge (and bisecting the present day Gubur Dhaura Heritage Park). The Red Hill property changed hands a number of times during the 20th century,
Following the selection of Canberra as the site of the national capital, there was demand for construction materials prompting renewed interest in the pipe clay deposits at Red Hill to supply the Canberra brickworks from 1929 onwards. By 1937, the surrounding property had been renamed "Gungaderra" by the new leaseholder, Richard Crace. During World War II, Australian Iron & Steel was granted a mining lease at the site and began test excavations using heavy machinery near the larger ironstone outcrops, although large scale extraction never occurred.
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Gubur Dhaura
Gubur Dhaura, also known as Gubur Dhaura Heritage Park is a small public park and historical site located in the Canberra suburb of Franklin, Australian Capital Territory. Gubur Dhaura means red ochre in the Ngunnawal language. Human activity at Gubur Dhaura is believed to span over 5000 years, with site used for quarrying activities by both the Ngunnawal and Ngarigu peoples and early European settlers. The site was listed on the Australian Capital Territory Heritage Register in 2011. It was opened to the public the same year following rehabilitation of native vegetation, construction of walking tracks as well as interpretive displays and signage providing information on its history.
The park is located on an ironstone ridge, rising 642 m (2,106 ft) above sea level and 31 m (102 ft) above the surrounding basin. It covers an area of 6 ha (15 acres) and is a short walk from both Manning Clark North and Mapleton Avenue light rail stations
Gubur Dhaura's elevated location sits between the watersheds of Ginninderra Creek and Sullivans Creek. Views of all the major features of the surrounding terrain made it a significant campsite for Aboriginal peoples of the area. These landmarks and panoramic vistas are evidence of the site's cultural importance, as a location for teaching the spiritual connection to the land, as well as for ceremony. The location also provided a campsite from where food sources (such as herds of kangaroos) could be spotted, as well as monitoring movements of other tribal groups.
Exposed ironstone outcrops along the ridgeline and clay deposits provided a significant source of red and yellow and white ochres. Archeological investigations of the site during the 1980s and 1990s uncovered some 200 artefacts that indicate Gubur Dhaura was an important site for ochre extraction and processing. It is the only such site in the ACT where lithic technology, including grindstones, has been found in proximity to ochre resources.
While the site is primarily associated with the Ngunnawal people, it is believed that other Indigenous clans in the surrounding area were invited to procure ochres at Gubur Dhaura for trade and ceremonial purposes. Anthropologists note however, the lands surrounding the modern city of Canberra sit within the cultural boundaries of several Indigenous groups, including the Ngarigo and Walgalu peoples, who may also have legitimate claim as custodians of this place. Red ochres in particular were used extensively in Walgalu men's initiation ceremonies.
The first European settler to claim ownership of the site was John Winter in 1861, who named the property "Red Hill". Winter built a house in what is now the neighbouring suburb of Harrison, a short distance away. A lease was taken up by Henry Gozzard in 1871 that took in much of the ridgeline itself. Gozzard granted rights to mine iron ore at the site in 1896. While this venture was unsuccessful, exploration of the site discovered significant deposits of kaolinite (pipe clay). A number of pits were excavated to extract this resource which was used by local settlers to whitewash houses and chimneys. The geology of the ridgeline suggested that gold may have also been present and there is evidence of further prospecting and excavation at the site around the turn of the century.
Well Station Road, an early thoroughfare linking the various leases and homesteads in the Ginninderra district was constructed some time after 1898, crossing the Red Hill ridge (and bisecting the present day Gubur Dhaura Heritage Park). The Red Hill property changed hands a number of times during the 20th century,
Following the selection of Canberra as the site of the national capital, there was demand for construction materials prompting renewed interest in the pipe clay deposits at Red Hill to supply the Canberra brickworks from 1929 onwards. By 1937, the surrounding property had been renamed "Gungaderra" by the new leaseholder, Richard Crace. During World War II, Australian Iron & Steel was granted a mining lease at the site and began test excavations using heavy machinery near the larger ironstone outcrops, although large scale extraction never occurred.