Telling the Whole Story of the Maria Creek

Introduction

This project began as a Meintangk First Nation – National Trust of South Australia partnership in 2022. It is a response to the existing National Trust of SA plaque, originally unveiled in 1966, which marked the 1840 massacre of the shipwrecked survivors of the barque Maria. The project has taken a two-way approach to the telling of our shared colonial history, and First Nation people are the authors of this, our own ancient and contemporary history. Telling the Whole Story is a joint response by the Meintangk People and the National Trust of SA to the plaque and its negative portrayal of Meintangk First Nation People. That plaque was unveiled by the then President of the National Trust of SA and is still located on this site. While it is deemed offensive to Meintangk, Bunganditj, Potaruwutj People, the National Trust plaque represents the colonial thinking of the time – an approach which excluded First Nations voices and our perspectives of history. 

Now the stories of and by Meintangk, Bunganditj and Potaruwutj First Nations are told by the people who are historically and continue to be connected to this place. First Nations’ involvement has been led by Traditional Owners and Custodians of the South-East, including Irene Watson, Tamara Pomery and Kirrakee Watson. The recovery of our space to tell our version of history involves the recovery of our language. We have applied the Bunganditj word Pawur translated to mean river in our naming of the Maria Creek. The recovery and revegetation of the Pawur-Maria Creek landscape is to both honour and acknowledge the Aboriginal history of this place. Our First Nations traditional owners’, custodians and National Trust members’ approach is two-way, and inclusive of Aboriginal knowledge and history.

Nature Glenelg Trust assisted with the recovery of the original native flora and fauna of the Pawur, while the Kingston Community School and local volunteers assisted with its planting. 

The aim of this project is to expand our knowledge of history by including and making visible Aboriginal ways of knowing our past and present.  

‘As our Meintangk Elders have said before, we have always been here, and we want to inform people who come to our lands that we are still here. We are still alive as Meintangk People, we have hopes, dreams and goals for our future.’ Irene Watson.

Ngarapayn is one of our Meintangk relations and is the Bunganditj language word for Heron. 

This project is supported by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board Grassroots Grants program and is funded by the regional landscape levy.