New Mapoon and Injinoo Cemeteries Projects, Cape York Peninsula

In December, we finalised two important research projects which were five years in the making and built on community aspirations and cultural responsibility to look after ancestral remains and their resting places.

In partnership with Simon Pearce, GHD; Professor Lawrence B. Conyers and Dr Peter Mitchell, Virtus Heritage assisted New Mapoon Aboriginal Corporation (NMAC – funded by the Ely Trust) and Ipima Ikaya Aboriginal Corporation (IIAC – funded by the Ely Trust and Indigenous Advancement Strategy) with the identification of unmarked graves and management of cemeteries through ethno-historical research, and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and environmental management investigations. 

In late May – early June 2022, Mary-Jean, Elle, Emma and Harry from Virtus Heritage, Simon Pearce from GHD and Dr Peter Mitchell OAM, visited communities at New Mapoon and Injinoo to undertake the fieldwork and consultation for these projects. Our final trip by our team in September 2022, was made by Simon, Mary-Jean, Elle and Harry to discuss the draft reports and demarcate the unmarked graves with temporary markers. We would like to thank all the Elders, families and administrators who assisted us with these projects. Read some more about the projects here! 

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