Honouring Country
Lynwood Quarry Turns Soil on Aboriginal Keeping Place
Holcim’s Lynwood Quarry has marked a significant cultural milestone with a soil turning and welcoming ceremony, recognising the next step in the creation of the Lynwood Quarry Aboriginal Keeping Place.
Following extensive consultation and collaboration with Aboriginal stakeholders, the ceremony, led by Alfie Walker from the Pejar Local Aboriginal Land Council (PLALC), reflected on Elders’ teachings about caring for one another and for the land, principles that continue to underpin the project.
Community representatives and Holcim team members at Lynwood Quarry mark a milestone soil turning ceremony for the Aboriginal Keeping Place, honouring Country and cultural heritage.
This place is so significant, and we wanted to share that with people. That’s why we talked about a keeping place - somewhere safe for the artefacts, and a place for learning.
A soil turning and welcoming ceremony at Lynwood Quarry marks the successful collaboration with Aboriginal stakeholders and the formal next step toward establishing the Lynwood Quarry Aboriginal Keeping Place.
The project has been shaped in partnership with the PLALC and the Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation (GTCAC), ensuring cultural knowledge, community priorities, and respect for Country have guided the process from the outset.
Those attending included Delise Freeman of the PLALC, and Mervyn Brown of the GTCAC, who attended on behalf of his mother, Sharon Brown, alongside members of their family and other community representatives. They were joined by Holcim team members, including General Manager Fred Adams, Lynwood Quarry Manager Wayne Beattie, Area Manager Kurt Bridges, Support Services Supervisor Celin Joshy, and Holcim ANZ Head of Sustainability Cyril Giraud.
As Wayne Beattie explained, the quarry site holds deep cultural significance, with more than 70 Aboriginal heritage sites identified, and includes scar trees, ceremonial areas, artefacts and tools dating back more than six thousand years.
“The Aboriginal Keeping Place was proposed by Aboriginal stakeholders as a way to protect these artefacts and create a space to share culture and local history through education,” said Wayne.
“It will house important artefacts, feature selected displays, support cultural education and bush tucker activities, and include a yarning circle, along with car and bus parking.”
Designed in consultation with the Aboriginal Heritage Management Committee, the Keeping Place represents the outcome of more than two decades of engagement and a shared commitment to cultural preservation.
Designs for the Lynwood Quarry Aboriginal Keeping Place, developed in consultation with the Aboriginal Heritage Management Committee to support cultural preservation, learning and connection to Country.
Reflecting on the milestone, Wayne said: “There has been a lot of work, discussion, and feedback to reach this point. The ceremony reinforced how important this project is for everyone involved, and we feel proud to be able to honour Country and support the preservation of Aboriginal culture for future generations.”
Construction of the Keeping Place is set to commence later this year, with completion expected by the end of the year.
