Karijini centre a boost for tourists and locals

PREMIER Geoff Gallop and Banyjima elder Wobby Parker last week opened the $4 million visitors’ centre at Karijini National Park in the Pilbara.

According to the Premier, the visitors’ centre is a prime example of involving the State’s indigenous people in the management of one of WA’s major natural attractions.

Karijini National Park business development manager Ric Walne said the focus on creating business opportunities for local Aboriginal people was an important one.

“Most of the staff are Aboriginal people from around the area,” he said.

“Local Aboriginal people will also be working in the value added areas such as the bush tucker walks, interpretive guiding in the gorges and through the rest of the park.

“We’ve looking at purchasing artefacts and other items from people in the area, silk screen prints and the like. This will help local employment.

“It’s a big part of my job to develop business opportunities for local Aboriginal people in tourists operations.”

Management plans for the park were released in 1999 after eight years of consultation and collaboration with the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land, endorsing the private development and operation of tourism facilities.

The management plans allowed traditional Aboriginal owners, represented by the Karijini Aboriginal Corporation and tribal elders, to have direct input into the management of the park through the Karijini Park Council.

The council includes tribal elders of each of the Panyjima, Yinhawangka and Kurrama people, representatives of the Karijini Aboriginal Corporation and representatives from CALM.

The centre is to be staffed by local Aboriginal people, who are also being assisted to set up Aboriginal cultural tours.

The ranger in charge of the area, Maitland Parker, is from the Banyjima people, on whose tradition land the visitors’ centre stands.

The park currently attracts more than 55,000 visitors each year, many of whom come to view WA’s highest peak, Mt Meharry. The State’s second highest peak, Mt Bruce, is also located in the park.

The 600,000-hectare Karijini National Park has enormous tourism potential, boasting natural features such as circular pool, Fortescue Falls, Dales gorge, red rocks, spinifex and mystic pools.

According to Mr Walne, the centre is of great significance for WA.

“Although there are several smaller ones (Aboriginal-run tourist destinations) in Western Australia, and several others around the country like Uluru, this is the first large scale one in WA,” he said.

Not only will the natural features of the park help attract tourist, it is hoped the Aboriginal heritage involved in the site will attract additional interests from both domestic and international tourists.

“Aboriginal heritage is something that people from many countries around the world want to hear about and learn about,” Mr Walne said.

“At the moment, most of the international people who come through the park are English backpackers and German tourists.”

The opening of the visitors centre is hoped to be the first step in encouraging other tourism-related infrastructure, such as accommodation and hospitality businesses.

The closest commercial airstrip is located in Newman, about 160 kilometres away, although the park does have its own private airstrip.

The park offers camping accommodation, but the closest hotel is in Tom Price, 90km away.

Currently, the majority of people who visit the park come either in their own car, or by coach.

Mr Walne said the aim was to attract more coach services to bring tourists into the park and he hoped the information now available at the visitors centre would promote such tours.

“It (Karijini) is a tourist destination already,” he said.

“The visitors’ centre we hope is going to become a major destination to tourists because of the information available there about the park and the history of the area.”

Half of the new visitors’ centre is devoted to interpretive displays depicting Aboriginal culture and the park’s native flora and fauna.

The building also houses a theatrette, shop, library, ablutions facility and offices.

Designed by Perth architectural firm Woodhead International BDH, the structure won this year’s Royal Institute of Architects’ BHP Colorbond Steel Award for the innovative use of steel in architecture, and the use of steel products.

The building depicts a goanna on the ground seeking shade from the hot sun, while curved walls represented rocky escarpments created by geological forces and weathering over time.