The Marvelous secrets of Millpost

The Canberra Times

Join Tim the Yowie Man on a trek to Bungendore, where he explores hidden historic artifacts little known to Aussie travelers, including an ancient indigenous axe quarry, now gazetted as an Aboriginal Place, the property Millpost is a must-visit.

Transcript

00:00 Just behind this gate on the outskirts of Bungendore lies one of the Canberra

00:04 region's most treasured rural properties. Not only do parts of the original

00:11 homestead still stand but the property that has been in the custodianship of

00:17 David Watson's family for about a hundred years also features precious

00:22 Aboriginal scar trees and a late 1800s lime kiln. However the piece de

00:31 resistance here was only rediscovered about nine years ago and has been

00:37 lauded by archaeologists as one of the most significant finds of its kind in

00:43 the region in the last 30 years. David Watson is about to take me to that site

00:49 and I can't wait. I brought you to an ancient stone axe quarry that was

01:00 rediscovered in 2015 by Dave Johnston Aboriginal archaeologist and I brought

01:08 him here because it was always felt like a special place to me and I often

01:14 wondered whether it was a significant Aboriginal site and sure enough it was

01:19 it was a Dolarite stone axe quarry where indigenous people chipped away and got

01:28 blanks that they then took to the creeks nearby sharpened for three days into an

01:35 axe which they would then use to cut timber to cut bark so it was quite a

01:43 exciting thing. And so until this rediscovery you were you weren't aware

01:48 that you had this ancient stone quarry on the top of a hill on your property?

01:54 No we weren't aware of that but it was always a special place to me felt

02:00 special and to have it confirmed as a significant site was quite exciting and

02:05 gratifying. And so what does it feel like when you're able to bring people here

02:10 and of course with local Aboriginal elders as well to show them this

02:15 location that that's actually on your property? How does that make you

02:18 feel? It's been wonderful it's been gratifying and enriching to be thrown

02:25 into the orbit of the local indigenous community and to have their reaction to

02:30 the site to have their appreciation of us nominating and getting it gazetted as

02:35 an Aboriginal place with their approval. The feedback has been wonderful and we

02:41 have developed strong friendships now with Aunty Matilda and Uncle Wally and

02:49 Dave Johnson the archaeologist and their families so it's been a really exciting

02:56 time for us.

02:59 [MUSIC PLAYING]

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