The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Nulungu Research Institute is delivering culturally grounded, industry‑relevant training through its Introduction to Cultural Heritage Management course.
Supporting people working across cultural heritage, Caring for Country and related sectors, the three-day course is delivered on the University’s Broome Campus and brings together participants from across Australia working in On Country ranger programs, government, heritage, environmental management and community‑led initiatives.
Developed in close collaboration with Yawuru knowledge holders, the course offers a unique professional learning experience grounded in culture, Country and Indigenous‑led ways of knowing and doing. It provides an important introductory pathway for people seeking to work ethically and effectively in cultural heritage management and Caring for Country initiatives.
Nulungu Research Institute Director, Associate Professor Dr Melissa Marshall, said the course reflects a growing focus across the sector on culturally responsive and community‑led approaches to heritage practice.
“This course responds directly to the need for training that is grounded in Country and guided by Indigenous knowledge systems,” Dr Marshall said.
“By working alongside Yawuru people and drawing on Indigenous scholarship and lived experience, we are supporting practitioners to engage with cultural heritage in ways that are ethical, respectful and professionally meaningful.”
Co‑designed and delivered by Nulungu researchers and Yawuru people, the course centres Indigenous methodologies and lived knowledges, with a strong emphasis on ethical practice, reconciliation, Indigenous data sovereignty, and the legislative and policy frameworks shaping cultural heritage management.
Delivered through a combination of lectures, workshops and on Country learning, participants engage with both tangible and intangible cultural heritage using practical tools, case studies and Indigenous‑led scholarship. Field trips form a key component of the program, enabling participants to learn directly from Yawuru knowledge holders and experienced practitioners.
A group of nine participants took part in the second iteration of the recently developed course last month, including on Country field trips led by Bart Pigram alongside Dianne Appleby, Naomi Appleby, Lloyd Pigram and Dr Marshall, who together supported the delivery of the course.
Participant Leonard Lever said the course was thoughtfully delivered and provided a strong foundation for understanding cultural heritage management.
“Beginning with Bugarrigarra and the importance of intangible heritage before moving into the tangible aspects of heritage management provided a strong and meaningful foundation,” Mr Lever said.
“It gave me a deeper appreciation of how stories, language and connection to Country shape and guide cultural heritage management.”
