PLEASE HELP US PROTECT ABORIGINAL WOMEN FERTILITY SITE FROM DESTRUCTION BY ROCLA SANDMINING COMPANY | Page 7

The last important feature of this site is a large figure of
Durramulan (Sacred spirit) shown in his special head-wear, pointing
to the very special Sacred Women's site – which his wife (in Emu
form) also guards.
By the end of the ceremony, initiates are taken away by the Special
Women who are in charge of the initiation and “Put Through”. They
then stay with the Special Women for a year, where they are taught
all about marriage and what that entails in our culture. At the end
of that year, when the initiate turns 13, they are then given in
marriage to the man that has been chosen for them.

The Land of the ‘Fair Go’
As you can see, the Women’s Fertility Rites is a very important
time for our young women and an integral part of my people’s
culture. The sacred site that has hosted these rites for thousands
of years, and witnessed the passage of generations of women before
me, must be protected from the threat of mining.

It is essential that this Sacred dreaming track and its
Songline never gets lost or destroyed. The Sacred history
of my people must be preserved.
We, the Elders, still take our
daughters and nieces to this Special
Women's Fertility Rites site, and
even though they may not choose to go
through this ceremony today, they
show respect for the Women's law, its
history, and its ancient ancestry.

Well, we used to take them and visit this Sacred site…
until Rocla Sand Mining and the NSW Government decided last
year that Aboriginal Women could no longer visit their
Sacred Place. THIS UPSET US VERY MUCH, BEING STOPPED FROM
VISITING OUR ANCIENT SACRED SITE. It reminded us of the
time they took our Languages from us and never let us speak
it again for fear of punishment.
It is not right that her majesty’s NSW government allows a company
to stop the Darkinoong and the Guringai people from practicing its
ancient culture.