Bindal Reconciliation Steering Committee
Boral acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands across Australia. We recognise and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their unique position in Australian culture and history, and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Boral’s vision for reconciliation is for all our people to respect and embrace the proud heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures, and actively promote opportunities and respectful relationships to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities to achieve an equitable future.
In 2022 Boral and representatives from the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people established the Roseneath Quarry On-Going Reconciliation Steering Committee. The committee works closely with Boral to deliver and implement various joint projects each year. Some of these have included interpretative signage at the site office, supporting a local young Aboriginal artist by purchasing artwork to be displayed in the quarry office, sponsorship of NAIDOC week activities in Townsville, developing a cultural heritage training package for staff, assisting with on-going employment and skill development opportunities and providing notice of job vacancies to work locally with Boral.
The Bindal and Wulgurukaba people, are the first known people to have lived in the Townsville region.
The traditional custodians are the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people. "Wadda Mooli" is Birrigubba language meaning greetings such as "hello, goodbye, or welcome".
When Europeans first arrived in Townsville, they assumed that no one occupied or owned the land because there were no boundaries marked by fences and farms. But the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people had already been living here for many years—hundreds of generations. Archaeological sites near Townsville have been dated over 10,000 years ago.
The Bindal people call their country Thul Garrie Waja. An important symbol for the Bindal people is the shooting star. They believe that wherever the star fell or the direction the star fell there was either danger coming from that direction or someone from the direction was in need of help or in danger.
The Wulgurukaba people call their country Gurrumbilbarra. Wulgurukaba means "canoe people". And important symbol for the Wulgurukaba people is the carpet snake.
The creation story tells of the creation snake that comes down from the Herbert River (Ingham area), went outside to sea creating the Hinchinbrook channel and down to Palm and Magnetic Islands. His body broke up leaving parts along the coast. The tail of the snake is at Halifax Bay; his body is at Palm Island; and his head rests at Arcadia on Magnetic Island.
