Published on the 29th May 2025 by ANSTO Staff
Earlier this month, ANSTO welcomed a delegation of Elders from the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage site to its Lucas Heights campus. The visit marked a significant collaboration between Traditional Custodians and scientists working to uncover the environmental history of Lake Mungo.
The visiting Elders—Uncle Warren Clark (Chair and Barkandji/Paakantyi representative), Uncle Ivan Johnston (Barkandji/Paakantyi), and Aunty Tanya Charles (Mutthi Mutthi representative and Mungo National Park Discovery Ranger)—are members of the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Aboriginal Advisory Group. They brought with them sediment core samples collected from the centre of Lake Mungo, which will be analysed at ANSTO to support a new scientific study.
The group was welcomed to Dharawal Country by local representatives including Aunty Barb Sims, Uncle Dean Kelly, Graham Avery (Indigenous Heritage Officer, Sutherland Shire Council), and members of the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council heritage team.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Uncle Warren Clark acknowledged the deep cultural significance of the Willandra Lakes, the long history of research that has been undertaken there, and the new way research was being conducted in their Country in a co-designed and collaborative way with the Aboriginal Advisory Group. Uncle Warren also expressed gratitude to ANSTO for its hospitality and support in undertaking this new ground-breaking research into Lake Mungo past.
The visit was coordinated by Dr Nathan Jankowski from the University of Wollongong, who is leading a study into the past landscape change within the Willandra Lakes Region—a living cultural landscape that has been home to the Ancestors of the Traditional Owners for over 45,000 years. With permission from the Aboriginal Advisory Group, Dr Jankowski, along with his colleague Dr Haidee Cadd, collected the sediment cores from Lake Mungo during fieldwork in February 2024. They were also joined in the field by Aboriginal Advisory Group representatives, as well as National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Heritage Team staff.
The collection of cores as part of this research project marks the first systematic investigation of lake basin sediments in the Willandra Lakes World Heritage site. According to Dr Jankowski, the study will provide vital insights into historical lake level fluctuations, sediment sources, and soil development, offering a deeper understanding of the environmental context surrounding the region’s renowned archaeological sites.
At ANSTO, the geochemistry of the cores will be analysed using the Itrax X-ray fluorescence scanner under the supervision of Ms Patricia Gadd. These high-resolution geochemical data will be integrated with other techniques, such as optically stimulated luminescence dating and sediment micromorphology, to reconstruct the lake’s environmental history.
Some of the core samples will also be preserved and developed into educational resources for Discovery Rangers at Mungo National Park, enhancing On Country guided tours with scientific insights into Lake Mungo’s dynamic past.
During their visit, the Elders toured the ANSTO facility and observed how the Itrax scanner is used in environmental research. The collaboration with scientists reflects the enduring connection of the Barkandji/Paakantyi, Mutthi Mutthi, and Ngyimpaa peoples to the Willandra Lakes and their commitment to integrating Traditional Knowledge with modern science.
ANSTO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Indigenous-led research and fostering respectful partnerships with Aboriginal communities.
