Perspective on Kurnell Peninsula from a recent excursion

On the 13th of September 2010, this action group took part in an excursion to the Kurnell Peninsula and the upper reaches of the Georges River with the purpose of seeing how the two areas differ and how the latter directly affects the Botany Bay area. There are stark differences in lifestyles between this small coastal community and far removed coal-mining town however at the same time these two are irrevocably linked. This is an account from the viewpoint of one of the excursion members:

The trip included a walk around the landing site of Captain Cook, where we were given time to reflect on the area and peruse the various plaques that had been laid. Those placed in the lead up to the site depicted a highly negative, problematic relationship between Indigenous peoples and the explorers. These then gave way to plaques at the heart of the dock which were diplomatic and reminiscent about the indigenous relationship with the land, creating an air of longing for reconnection. One such plaque recounted the use of the ferry service by visitors to the site, including Indigenous peoples who were able to reconnect with the land. Unfortunately with the increase in car ownership this service was stopped during the mid 1960s.  There was a degree of surprise amongst the group about the presence of such diplomacy on more recent plaques, since it was expected that these plaques would focus more on praising white settlement in the area. This hopefully reflects a change across society in how they perceive this site of “the beginning of modern Australia”.

The isolation of Kurnell, surrounded by vegetation and confined by industry, is exactly why the area needs help in making current issues prominent. If it were not for past community actions, this area would most certainly have be forgotten by policy makers. Even though community action has subsided in recent years, it is not indicative of an absence of problems in the area. Unfortunately this is representative of the “out of sight out of mind” attitude of society—something also seen in the tributaries of Georges River in the Dharawal conservation area where mining companies are honeycombing the area for coal, causing pollution and cracking of river beds, disrupting the ecology of the area.

The aim of this action group is to continue to raise awareness of the issues that Kurnell faces. This site plays an important role in the everyday lives of the nation—we use, and demand, the products produced in the area (oil, water etc) and many live on or close to this land. Kurnell is a beautiful and important landscape that needs greater community attention and action.