Bigambul elders caring for country through generational knowledge

Australia Broadcast Center

24-05-2025

Whether slapping mud pies on the banks of border rivers in south-west Queensland, or flattening out land with a toy steamroller made from a tin filled with dirt, Bigambul woman Leah Mann thought her childhood was all fun and games.
Now an elder of her people, she realises those cherished moments were partaking in the ancient Aboriginal tradition of caring for country.
"We had an old tobacco tin, our nana would put seeds in it, we would throw them down by the creek and that would grow food," Aunty Leah said.
It is this multi-generational knowledge of the environment that the Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, based in Goondiwindi, realised needed to be documented and shared in their new Caring for Country Plan.
The traditional owners said the plan, released on Thursday, would guide the development of infrastructure projects across the region and lead to the ongoing protection, rehabilitation and restoration of country.
Aunty Leah said they were also embracing new environmental protection methods to plan for the future.
"We have a greenhouse, and we propagate all the seeds we have taken from our country. Those will be planted back where they used to grow," she said.
"The waterways will look better because we'll add little things like mussels and some certain fish that will clean the waterways."
Some strategies in the Caring for Country Plan have already seen success in the Goondiwindi area, including the use of fire to control invasive weeds.
First Nations firefighter sector commander Jason Scott said they conducted cultural and mitigation burns to help control Harrisia cactus and the mother of millions succulent.
"We conduct cool burns to boil the cactus, to get it back down to its root system," Mr Scott said.
"Kangaroos will then eat that root system or farmers will put cows over the top.
"With the mother of millions it's a toxic burn, so we have to be very careful and well-regulated with our breathing."
Mr Scott said the Bigambul rangers carefully ensured no culturally significant sites were impacted.
"The rangers do a replanting program on country to bring back some of the native trees that have been decimated due to over-logging and removal," he said.
"We've got a lot of native trees coming back because in Australia our trees require fire to be able to propagate."
The Caring for Country Plan took three years to develop and included input from the local community, industry and various government departments and representatives.
Project director Jeremy Hall said they spent nine months building partnerships and collaborating with interested parties across the wider Goondiwindi area.
"We use this as a very powerful tool when speaking to proponents coming on country, whether it's renewables or major infrastructure," Mr Hall said.
"The first port of call is no harm. But if you're going to cause harm, take a balanced approach on how you will mitigate and not just offset it, but mitigate and care."
Mr Hall said their objective was to foster support and understanding, connecting community and mob to country.
"Bigambul is open for business … it's part of the nation-building initiatives," Mr Hall said.
The Bigambul people, whose lands cover about 17,000 square kilometre of south-west Queensland, believe that a healthy country creates healthy people.
Elder Regina Munn said it was their cultural obligation to keep the knowledge of the land and water intact for future generations.
"When [the land] is dry, arid and scorched it's almost depressing," Aunty Regina said.
"When the rain comes the earth is quenched, the rivers rise, the fish and birds are out. All of that combines to create a happy community.
"It's not just about Bigambul land, it's about the land in general, and it's all the land in general that we have native title determination over."