Last Updated on September 27, 2018
On June 21st, an important sacred site on the Boolah Dillah mountain in New South Wales, Australia, will be desecrated by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).
For the past 11 years, the RTA has been planning to construct a Highway upgrade through the base of the Mountain, which is home to numerous sacred and historical sites for the Worimi Nation. Many of the sites on Mt. Boolah Dillah (also known as the Alum Mountain) may be destroyed during the “upgrade” process.
According to the Save the Alum Sacred Mountain, Bulahdelah group, one site in particular–Sacred Frog Rock–will be desecrated/destroyed just two days from now, on June 21st, 2011.
The RTA is planning to blast about five metres away from the site. This will most likely destroy the rock under the surface that is a part of the Sacred Frog.
Save the Alum Sacred Mountain notes that “The RTA stated in Dec 2009 in a response they made to an application made under section 9, of the ATSIHP Act 1984, that: ‘This rock will not be directly impacted upon by construction of the road‘”.
Your voice is urgently needed to defend this sacred site and the greater Boolah Dillah Mountain.
More information: http://bulahdelahbypass.wordpress.com/
Updates: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_121807998591
Below you will find four emails you can send to officials in Australia to try to stop the planned blast.
1st EMAIL
Tony Burke MP, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
Email: Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au
Mr Burke,
I am writing to make you aware about a sacred site on Boolah Dillah (Bulahdelah Mountain) in Bulahdelah NSW, that is about to be blasted by the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).
This site is the Sacred Frog Rock, which is a hugely significant site which is part of the Dreamtime. The RTA are planning to blast only about five metres from where this frog sits which would undoubtedly destroy the rock under the surface that is a part of it and destroy/desecrate this sacred site where it sits on the ground as well.
In December 2009 in a response made by the RTA written by Robert (Bob) Higgins that was given to the government in relation to a section 9 application, made under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, The RTA stated that: “This rock will not be directly impacted upon by construction of the road…” If the RTA are allowed to blast at this site it will be directly impacted.
As the RTA has stated in an official response to the government that this site will not be directly impacted, they should not be allowed to impact this site. I ask you to stop them from proceeding with there preposed blasting and save this sacred site, you as Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities have the power to do this, if you don’t you will be letting a hugely significant Aboriginal site be destroyed/desecrated forever.
Sincerely
2nd EMAIL
Barry Robert O’Farrell, MP premiere NSW.
Email: office@premier.nsw.gov.au
Mr O’Farrell,
I am writing to make you aware about a sacred site on Boolah Dillah (Bulahdelah Mountain) in Bulahdelah NSW, that is about to be blasted by the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).
This site is the Sacred Frog Rock, which is a hugely significant site which is part of the Dreamtime. The RTA are planning to blast only about five metres from where this frog sits which would undoubtedly destroy the rock under the surface that is a part of it and destroy/desecrate this sacred site where it sits on the ground as well.
In December 2009 in a response made by the RTA written by Robert (Bob) Higgins that was given to the government in relation to a section 9 application, made under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, The RTA stated that: “This rock will not be directly impacted upon by construction of the road…” If the RTA are allowed to blast at this site it will be directly impacted.
As the RTA has stated in an official response to the government that this site will not be directly impacted, they should not be allowed to impact this site. I ask you to stop them from proceeding with there preposed blasting and save this sacred site, you as premiere of NSW have the power to do this, if you don’t you will be letting a hugely significant Aboriginal site be destroyed/desecrated forever.
Sincerely
3th EMAIL
Brad Hazzard, Minster for Planning and Infrastructure.
Email: office@hazzard.minister.nsw.gov.au
Mr Hazzard,
I am writing to make you aware about a sacred site on Boolah Dillah (Bulahdelah Mountain) in Bulahdelah NSW, that is about to be blasted by the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).
This site is the Sacred Frog Rock, which is a hugely significant site which is part of the Dreamtime. The RTA are planning to blast only about five metres from where this frog sits which would undoubtedly destroy the rock under the surface that is a part of it and destroy/desecrate this sacred site where it sits on the ground as well.
In December 2009 in a response made by the RTA written by Robert (Bob) Higgins that was given to the government in relation to a section 9 application, made under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, The RTA stated that: “This rock will not be directly impacted upon by construction of the road…” If the RTA are allowed to blast at this site it will be directly impacted.
As the RTA has stated in an official response to the government that this site will not be directly impacted, they should not be allowed to impact this site. I ask you to stop them from proceeding with there preposed blasting and save this sacred site, you as Minster for Planning and Infrastructure have the power to do this, if you don’t you will be letting a hugely significant Aboriginal site be destroyed/desecrated forever.
Sincerely
4th EMAIL
The Prime Minster, Julia Gillard.
Email: http://www.pm.gov.au/contact-your-pm
Prime Minister Gillard,
I am writing to make you aware about a sacred site on Boolah Dillah (Bulahdelah Mountain) in Bulahdelah NSW, that is about to be blasted by the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) on Tuesday the 21st June.
This site is the Sacred Frog Rock, which is a hugely significant site which is part of the Dreamtime. The RTA are planning to blast only about five metres from where this frog sits which would undoubtedly destroy the rock under the surface that is a part of it and destroy/desecrate this sacred site where it sits on the ground as well.
In December 2009 in a response made by the RTA written by Robert (Bob) Higgins that was given to the government in relation to a section 9 application, made under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, The RTA stated that: “This rock will not be directly impacted upon by construction of the road…” If the RTA are allowed to blast at this site it will be directly impacted.
As the RTA has stated in an official response to the government that this site will not be directly impacted, they should not be allowed to impact this site. I ask you to stop them from proceeding with there preposed blasting and save this sacred site, you as prime minister have the power to do this, if you don’t you will be letting a hugely significant Aboriginal site be destroyed/desecrated forever.
Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life.
From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections,
the threat is global—and it is growing.
What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives.
Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media
barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented. The public is left without the context
needed to understand what is truly at stake.
That is exactly why IC Magazine exists..
For more than 20 years, IC has reported on Indigenous struggles worldwide — consistently, independently, and without compromise.
We don’t follow news cycles; we trace patterns. We don’t sensationalize; we provide context.
And when the world looks away, we stay focused.
But this work is increasingly difficult to sustain.
We refuse to lock our reporting behind a paywall. We don’t sell access through subscriptions.
And we don’t answer to advertisers. IC Magazine survives solely because readers like you choose to
support independent Indigenous journalism.
Please donate today if you can. Every contribution helps us to continue this crucial work.
Thank you,
John Ahni Schertow
Founder and Editor in Chief
