AURA Rock Art Conference

Broken Hill
Broken Hill is located in far western NSW, in proximity to the rock art
precincts of Mutawintji, Euriowie, Olary and, further west, the
Flinders Ranges. The National Parks of Mungo, Kinchega and Sturt are
all within three hours drive. Broken Hill itself is an historic town,
which at one time led the world in silver, lead and zinc production and
boasted 60 hotels, many of which still stand as accommodation houses.
Broken Hill is a major tourist centre with comprehensive facilities.

In October, during the Symposium, the temperature should be around the
mid 20s during the day and 12 degrees at night (Celsius) and humidity
low (c. 40%). Rain can occur at any time of the year, but heavy
road-closing storms are unlikely.

Barrier Social Democratic Club
The Barrier Social Democratic Club is in the main street of the town
(Argent Street), one block west of the Post Office and opposite the
National Parks office. The venue is well suited for the Symposium,
which will consist of a single academic session in the Conference Room
(max. seating capacity of 100). The conference room also has a bar and
can be used for the Symposium dinner, as it is adjacent to the club’s
restaurant.

Preliminary academic program
Welcome to the traditional lands of the Wilyakali.
Note: all papers will be a maximum of 20 minutes in length followed by
10 minutes of question time. The exceptions are a one-hour special
presentation by Ekkehart Malotki and a final one-hour open discussion
led by Claire Smith.

THE DURATION OF EACH SESSION WILL BE 2 HRS

SATURDAY
0800 INTRO
Gunn, ben: Welcome
O’Donnell, Maureen: Welcome to Country
Gunn, ben: Brief remarks on the state of the art

THE PAST 25 YEARS
Ward, Graeme: 25 years of AIATSIS rock art
Clegg, John: Sturts Meadows Studies since 1980 (or 1970)
Flood, Jo: Australia’s earliest rock art – from the Top End to Tasmania

1000-1030 MORNING TEA
1030 THE PAST 25 YEARS (CONT)
Mulvaney, Ken: Twenty five years on the Burrup
Bednarik, Robert: Progress in saving the Dampier rock art
Donaldson, Mike: Understanding the rocks: rock art and the geology of
Burrup Peninsula
Maynard, Lesley: Two-toes, his Little Mate, and the Demon Dingoes of
doom (Pilbara, WA)

1230-1330 LUNCH
1330 FIRE
Tacon, Paul S. C.: Fanning the flames: rock art, tourism, climate
change and fire
Lambert, Dave, & Brad Welch: Fire & rock art
Sefton, Caryll: The Effects of Fire on the Woronora Plateau

REGIONAL STUDIES
Whear, Ray: The Jawoyn Cultural Heritage Program 2006-2008

1530-1600 AFTERNOON TEA
1600 REGIONAL STUDIES (CONT)- NO QUESTION TIME THIS SESSION
Ross, June: Picturing Change in the Central Desert (Central Aust)
Webb, Esmee: Attempts to date some rock art sites in the Cue region,
Western Australia (Cue, WA)
Morieson, John: The Wells of Kooyoora (Vic)
Hardtke, Fred: Recording and Rescuing the Boats and Fauna at
Hierakonpolis, Egypt
1730 END DAY ONE

SUNDAY
0800 MANAGEMENT
Rossi, Alana, & Esmée Webb: The erosional impact of cultural
tourism is a problem that needs to be considered when opening
Aboriginal rock art sites to visitation (Wheatbelt, WA)
Goldsmith, John: Innovative digital photography and “full
dome” 360 degree panoramic images, for documentation of natural,
cultural and heritage places of significance
Starkey, Mick, & Andrew Thorn: A long term management approach to
the Preservation of paintings and engravings at Uluru
Mallie, Troy, & Glen MacLaren: Cultural Site Management Systems:
Technology for recording and managing rock art

1000-1030 MORNING TEA
1030 GENERAL
Dobrez, Livio: Rock Art, Perception and the Subject-Object Binary
Watson, Ben: Recurrent rock art imagery: A neuroscientific perspective
Huntley, Jillian: Characteristics of Paints from the South Woronora
Plateau Rock Art Assemblage
Norris, Ray P. & Duane W. Hamacher: The astronomy of Australian
Indigenous Rock Art

1230-1330 LUNCH
1330-1500 GENERAL (CONT)
* Malotki, Ekkehart: The ‘Deep Structure’ of Non-iconic Rock Art:
Human Universals
Cole, Noelene: Life stories of the Old People

1500-1530 AFTERNOON TEA
1530-1730 GENERAL (CONT)
Bullen, Margaret: Culture and creativity
*Smith, Claire: Rock Art Research in Australia-Where to from here?
(Discussion)
1730 CLOSING THANKS

Due to the number of papers submitted and the limited time available, a
number had to be removed from the program, including:
Bednarik, Robert: Palaeoart science: the alternative
Bednarik, Robert: Modes 1, 2 and 3 palaeoart of the world
Sefton, Caryll: Then and now
Sefton, Caryll: Birds, birds and more birds
Gunn, R. G., J. Dortch, C. Ogleby and A. Thorn: The petroglyphs of the
Kybra Aboriginal site, south-western Western Australia

These papers will be considered for publication in the proceedings
volume.

Accommodation
There are numerous motels, accommodation houses, and B&B’s
within the city, and a caravan park on the highways at the western
(Adelaide) and eastern (Sydney) edge of the town. (The third caravan
park is not recommended). A town map of Broken Hill, showing the
locations of hotels and motels relative to the conference venue, can be
found HERE and downloaded. To select and book accommodation,
visit http://www.visitbrokenhill.com.au/

Fieldtrips
Monday, 19 October: fieldtrip 1 to Sturts Meadows and
Euriowie. Travel in individual vehicles, hopefully rationalising the
number of cars. Lunch will be self-catering, toilets are available at
Sturts Meadows. Back to Broken Hill overnight.
Tuesday, 20 October: fieldtrip 2 to Mutawintji, full
day, back to Broken Hill.
Wednesday, 21 October: start of fieldtrip 3, to South
Australia, for a small number of hardy participants, to extend for up
to one week. The itinerary is not finalised because many sites are on
private land and access must be negotiated with owners. This may
involve access fees in some cases. The following provides only a guide
to the expected itinerary: from Broken Hill west along the Barrier
Highway to Mannahill, Karolta, Winininnie, then Yunta, Teetulpa,
Panaramitee, Burra site, sites near Peterborough (Pitcairn?), then to
Yourambulla, Wilpena Pound, Dingley Dell, Sacred Canyon, Moolooloo and
end up at Red Canyon near Copley-Leigh Creek. Accommodation will be by
motels, hotels and shearer’s sheds.

AURA accepts no liability for accident cover of any fieldtrip
participant, and participation in these excursions involves explicit
exemption of AURA from any claims arising from misadventure or
accident. Fieldtrips of AURA are not tourist excursions; AURA or the
fieldtrip leaders receive no payment for them and have no contractual
obligation whatsoever.

We will travel in individual vehicles (hire cars or owner drivers,
shared by arrangement) but hopefully we can rationalise to reduce the
numbers of cars in the convoy. Lunch will be self catering (food and
cup), but ben Gunn will bring billies and water for tea/coffee, on the
first two days. Toilets are available at Sturts Meadows. Cost will be
$10 per person to enter Euriowie (now owned by the BHLA Land Council)
and a yet to be determined cost for a Community guide at Mutawintji
(around the same cost per person). There is no limit on numbers but if
too many join then when we visit the main areas the group will be
subdivided into smaller groups as appropriate.

Registration
To register for the AURA Inter-Congress Symposium in Broken Hill,
please use the registration form provided.

Registration fees are $A130.00 for members of AURA, $A60.00 for student
and retiree members of AURA, and $A180.00 for non-members. Membership
with AURA can be obtained at the registration desk. Registration covers
a conference satchel and contents; coffee, tea, orange juice, biscuits
and cakes during session breaks; refreshing buffet luncheons;
conference dinner on Sunday evening; and field trip participation and
literature. It excludes Saturday dinner, transport and accommodation.
Student and retiree registrations are therefore subsidised by AURA, as
they do not meet actual costs.

The AURA Registration Desk will open late on Friday, 16 October 2009,
at the conference venue, abd on Saturday morning from 8 am. Academic
sessions will run from 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Please direct any queries to:
AURA
P.O. Box 216
Caulfield South, VIC 3162
Australia,
or to auraweb@hotmail.com