A Glimpse Inside Ceramic Mural This mural includes the totems, places and rivers of the eleven Traditional Owner groups who signed the Western Cape Communities Co-existence Agreement.  Designed and created by Thaynhakwith elder, Thancoupie, an internationally recognised ceramic artist assisted by Lyn Bates and Roshni Senapati, the mural celebrates the Agreement's significance to the people and communities of the Western Cape. Introduction to the Western Cape Communities This display provides a brief overview of the Aurukun, Mapoon, Napranum and Weipa communities - their people, their community structures and local government functions.   Industries of the Western Cape Although dominated by bauxite mining, other regional industries including beef cattle production and tourism and the major port facilities at Weipa are included in this display. A Journey in Time The timeline introduces visitors to a sample of events which affected the people and communities of the Western Cape region.  The timeline is divided into two sections.  Above the central red line local events are detailed, while below the line are events which occurred on a national or international scale that affected the region. During the past ten years, recognition of the ancient native title rights of the indigenous people of this region through legal processes has led to the development of compensation and recognition agreements between traditional owner groups and mining companies.  The most recent was the Western Cape Communities Co-existence Agreement between Comalco and eleven traditional groups, four communities, the Cape York Land Council and the Queensland Government, which was signed just near the Centre site on 14 March 2001.  To commemorate the signing ceremony, ceramic tiles with the handprints in ochre and signatures of each signatory were made by members of the Weipa Potters group.  The tiles have been used as a border to the timeline.   Historical Stories of the Western Cape The Western Cape has a fantastic history.  Historian Geoff Wharton has tapped into his thirty-year involvement with the region to sample the stories of people and events which make up the region's rich heritage.  Space did not permit the inclusion of many stories, but it is hoped that this display will give the visitor a new perspective on the places they visit. Many of the photographs and other heritage items have not been displayed in public before.  Perhaps one of the most poignant stories is the one about the closure of Mapoon Mission.  Read the removal order listing the people who were forcibly removed from Mapoon in November 1963 under the orders of the Director of Native Affairs and see how the people resettled their lands in the 1970s.   Caring for Country Camping, Fishing and Travelling the Western Cape Thousands of people travel overland to visit the Western Cape and the tip of Cape York every dry season.  A most important feature of this display is the emphasis on safety, respecting local access rules and caring for the country during your visit.  Helpful information has been prepared in consultation with community rangers, government agencies and environmental organisations. Traditional owners and rangers asked that the display inform visitors about areas of country and waterways being closed when a family member dies, to respect the departed person's spirit.  No person may enter such closed areas without the family's express permission until the appropriate ceremony is held to re-open that area.  This can take from three weeks to several months.   Magnificent Wetlands of the Western Cape The beauty of the region's wetlands is highlighted by water creature designs by Thaynhakwith elder and ceramic artist, Thancoupie and a large wall mural by a young Thaynhakwith artist, Thomas Bosen. Tom entitled his mural Two Cultures One Path.  In Weipa's newspaper, The Weipa Bulletin (No. 1799, 24 May 2002, p.3), Tom wrote that the mural:   represents two indigenous cultures (Torres Strait and Aboriginal), walking towards the one path that leads towards reconciliation, where all Australians become united.  The outer area of the painting represents the Dreamtime.  [Totem creatures of the wetlands shown here include barramundi fish, water monitors and turtles].  The centrepiece of the painting represents the present day. The ancestral figures on either side of the painting represent our ancestors, who guide our spirituality and cultural customs from the twilight zone of the Dreamtime to the present day.  In doing so we find that we are affected by our surroundings, but our spirit and our cultural influence remains intact by our customary protocols that we are governed by as we are guided through these cultural dimensions. The silhouette painting at the centre of the painting represents the dimension that separates the Dreamtime and our modern culture.  This is the area where our cultures have taken on a modernised appearance, and a whole new direction without losing the spiritual and cultural connection to our Dreamtime.  This dimension also represents a cultural bridge, which connects the two dimensions and allows our spiritual and cultural influence to flow from one dimension to the other. The Warup (Torres Strait Islander Drum), which is on top of the painting, and the dari (Torres Strait Islander head dress) represents the Torres Strait Islander culture that the Western Cape York communities have been influenced by.  In (some) Western Cape York communities, the Warup plays an important part in keeping the rhythmic beats in our songs and dances.  This instrument is used in special celebrations and occasions (e.g.  Weddings, Tombstone openings...etc). And the two images staring twoards the centre of the painting represent the two Indigenous Cultures (the Aboriginal on the right and the Torres Strait Islander on the left), looking towards the path of Reconciliation.  Tom Bosen.   In many wetlands, large water lilies with mauve and pink flowers dominate the waterscape.  Crafted bronze water lily replicas etched with water creature designs by Thancoupie dot the lagoon display.  A model of a Northern Snake-necked Turtle sits on one of the leaves. Here you will also see a skinbark canoe made by two traditional craftsmen from Aurukun assisted by young men from Napranum.  Look carefully at the interpretive labels to see how natural bush materials are used to make the canoe.  The rocks which dot the lagoon are local which underlies the bauxite at Weipa.  The holes in this rock are created by water seeping through the ironstone layer over thousands of years.   Animal and Plant Species of the Western Cape Forty animals and plants were selected to demonstrate some of the interesting aspects of the region's diodiversity.  The majority of the species were chosen to show ones that were more likely to be seen by visitors to the region during the dry season. Each species has a common name, a scientific (taxonomic) name and two traditional language names.  The individual display panels are designed to encourage children to discover photos or test for each species by swivelling the panel.  It is best to view this display from the outside looking inwards to take advantage of the daylight outside the Centre which reflects on each image.   Traditional Culture of Western Cape People To describe the cultural life of all the region's traditional people would fill many Centre's such as this, so the displays just provide a small sample of cultural knowledge. Nevertheless the information presented has been carefully selected to present matters which the traditional people wanted to highlight, such as their languages, manufacturing of artefacts from natural materials and the import custom of introducing a stranger to the country by placing the smell of the country on them.  This custom allows the person safe passage through the country. Two sacred totem woodcarvings by Wik people have been made for this display.  They are awaiting preparation for installation.  During the Centre Opening on 25 May 2002 ceremonies of song and dance were performed by the Wik people to bring the totems into the Centre.   The Ever-Changing Landscape:  Seasonal Life Overland visitors to the region experience the dry season only because the Western Cape is inaccessible by vehicle during the wet season.  Traditional people recognise many more seasons than just wet and dry.  This display commences with two pie-chart diagrams showing the seasonal variations known to the Thaynhakwith and Wik-Mungkan people. Landscapes and seasonal bush foods are shown here to introduce visitors to the rich variety of climatic and biological changes which occur throughout the year.  At the end of the display is a model and interpretive information about shell mounds.  The shell mounds of the Western Cape region, focussed on Weipa, are among the largest in the world.  Archaeologists Dr Roger Cribb and Mick Morrison have worked with traditional people to provide interesting explanations of the origins and formation of the shell mounds. A creation story about the Hey River shell mounds highlights the ancient connection between the mounds and the people of the land.   Western Cape Habitats Coastal Plains, Forests, Rivers and Wetlands Studies by organisations such as the Australian Museum, Comalco and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service have recorded many different habitats in the region.  Several examples of Western Cape habitats are presented here, concluding with a model of the mangroves. Mangrove habitats occupy a significant area along the river estuaries of the Western Cape and this model shows the Ceriops and Rhizophore zones along with some of the creatures found in this fascinating environment.   Farewell Area The last display includes an ironwood log with sugar bag cuts showing where traditional people have removed the tasty honey from a native bees nest.  Nearby is the trunk of a Messmate (Eucalyptus tetrodonta) tree with a model of one of the Western Cape's fascinating birds, the Palm Cockatoo.  These birds may be seen and heard at Weipa throughout the year. The poem by the late Jean Jimmy was selected to honour a Yugungathi elder who contributed greatly to the preservation of traditional knowledge at Mapoon through her work with young people and through her writing. Botanist Peter Stanton's statement about Cape York Peninsula's fragile environment carries an important message for all visitors, who enjoy the wilderness today, to be vigilant to protect those values for future generations. Enjoy!