Exploring the deep human history of Bass Strait and its Land Bridge

A new digital exhibition The Land Bridge (https://thelandbridge.au/) tells us about Bass Strait when it was a vast grassy plain people walked across and lived on.

Between about 43,000 and about 14,000 years ago, during the last ice age, lower sea levels exposed the shallow seafloor as land and mainland Australia became connected to the island of Lutruwita/Tasmania. (‘Lutruwita’ is the name for Tasmania in Palawa Kani, the language of Tasmania’s First People.)

Display of project web site

The project includes colourful multimedia, a documentary and an education resource. Created by Wind & Sky Productions. Image: envato elements.

The story of the now-submerged land bridge is colourfully told on a website which features a half hour documentary and a number of highly readable, image-rich essays. There’s an education kit for teachers and a podcast series is on the way.

First Nations knowledge and First Peoples’ ongoing spiritual connection to land bridge Country -Palawa of Lutruwita/Tasmania and Bunurong and Gunaikurnai of coastal southeastern Victoria features in the project.

Scientists from around Australia provided insights into geomorphology, the seafloor, marine biology, plants, wildlife, palaeoecology, fossils, archaeology and environmental history. There’s even a shipwreck story, about the famous ‘Sydney Cove’, by popular history author Adam Courtenay.

The project draws on research by the Australian Research Council Centre for Excellence in Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), Geoscience Australia (GA) and other scientific organisations.

The Land Bridge digital story project was produced by Wind & Sky Productions and funded by the Australian Government through the Our Marine Parks grant program to showcase the cultural values of Australian Marine Parks.

To find out more about the Land Bridge, visit the project website https://thelandbridge.au/.

Quotes attributable to Fiona Maher, Palawa woman and Pakana Sea Country Ranger, Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre:

‘The land bridge is special to our people. It is still there, as it always has been. Our people walked, lived, birthed on that Country. A lot of our cultural artefacts, our old ways of living, are still down under there, on the sea floor. The Palawa are proud to share this significant story to Australian audiences.’

Quotes attributable to Grattan Mullett, General Manager of Culture, Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation:

‘The Bassian Plain, now the land bridge under Bass Strait, has been an important cultural landscape for Gunaikurnai for countless generations. Though our spiritual connection may not be visible, we are proud to be able to share the stories of our Ancestors and honour those that walked before us.’

Quotes attributable to Professor Simon Haberle, Professor of Natural History & Palaeoecology and Director of Canberra Pollen Monitoring Program, Australian National University:

‘The deep-time vegetation and fire histories reconstructed from sediment cores from the Bass Strait islands reveal a remarkable record of caring for country by Palawa over many tens of thousands of years. To ensure ongoing persistence of biodiversity across these island landscapes for future generations, it’s vital that we listen and learn from Indigenous communities who are calling for a greater role in helping to manage Australian landscapes into the future.’

Quotes attributable to Associate Professor Neville Barrett, marine biologist, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania:

‘We were glad to share our research mapping the seabed of a small but significant section of the drowned Bassian land bridge. We discovered underwater ridges which once may have been invaluable shelter for the Old People who lived here in the past, but now form a biodiversity hotspot covered in all sorts of colourful marine life. It is impossible to see these ridges with their caves and crevices without thinking of how important they are to the land bridge story.’

Quotes attributable to Lucinda Horrocks and Jary Nemo, producers, Wind & Sky Productions:

‘We thought the cultural story of Bass Strait hadn’t really been told. But it wasn’t up to us, it is a First Nations story and it’s their decision to tell. We asked would they like to work with us and were blown away by their generosity in what they shared.’

‘The scientists were great to work with and they told us excellent stories, like robot underwater vehicles or megafauna extinctions. They brought the ancient Bassian Plain to life and let us glimpse the colourful, unique marine environment it is today.’

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Media Contact:Wind & Sky Productions, enquire@windsky.com.au, 03 4310 6667

About Wind & Sky Productions

Wind & Sky Productions is an independent documentary company specialising in stories of community, culture, history, and science.

Wind & Sky excels at working collaboratively with organisations and individuals to produce high quality productions. They adopt innovative extensions to documentary storytelling using written essays, images, digital exhibitions, and live events to engage audiences.

Known for their surprising stories about real people Wind & Sky’s award-winning work is distributed online, has toured international festivals, is screened at dedicated events and is on permanent display at museums and cultural institutions.

More information about Wind & Sky Productions is available at https://windsky.com.au/

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