7 days ago
Protecting WA's 'place of the giants' at Crab Creek on Broome's outskirts
During the dry season in Western Australia's far north, caravans crowd the dusty track that leads to a place where red dirt meets the turquoise sea.
It's where residents and tourists in Broome, 2,200 kilometres north of Perth, visit to catch a glimpse of migratory shorebirds that dot the sand.
Others come to cast a line in an attempt to catch the abundant fish that ripple the still water of Roebuck Bay.
Most know the popular spot as Crab Creek, but for Yawuru elder Dianne Appleby it's Mangalagun, a place strong in resources and spiritual importance for traditional owners.
"It's very rich in culture, very rich in story, very rich in all the feeding for birds," she says, as she looks over the water.
As the setting sun peers through the red cliffs, Ms Appleby points to a rock separated from the rest, which she says is the beak of a giant bird.
"This is the story of Jibi, a big spirit bird for us and it looks after country for us," she says.
The spirit bird travelled throughout the night, searching for children to take "far, far away" if their parents weren't watching over them.
When Ms Appleby was outside as a young child, she says her mother would often think of Jibi when the sun would begin to set.
"'Hey, where them kids? Sun going down now', that's what my mother and father used to say," Ms Appleby says.
Ms Appleby says Jibi's dreaming story serves as an important lesson for families.
"Mothers we say, 'Look after your kids, don't neglect them,'" she says.
As Ms Appleby walks along the beach at Mangalagun, she says Jibi was not the only giant that once roamed the landscape.
She points out fossilised dinosaur footprints and other imprints, which she says belonged to giant beings.
"This is the place of the giants," Ms Appleby says.
"Yawuru has spiritual giants, physical giants, they are here to protect this country.
"This is the country of the giants. It was a forest of wonderful plants, animals and the flowing water, wulla means water."
While giants may no longer roam Mangalagun, today the area remains rich in bush tucker, which Ms Appleby collects.
Over a decade ago, a management plan published for Mangalagun identified an increase in extreme weather events, populations and industries were stressors to the environmental quality and cultural values of the area.
Ms Appleby says it is crucial the area is protected for future generations.
"Our people were giants, the spirits of them are giants … and we carry that in our hearts and have to look after it," she says.
