Traditional owners and students join forces to unearth history in Australia

Eleven traditional owners from across Australia are working with Flinders University archaeology students to excavate historical sites in Ityamaiitpinna Yarta Glenthorne National Park.

The group is participating in a five-day pilot program designed by the Australian Resources Sector, Flinders University, and traditional owner groups. The project takes place in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, where the land formerly served as Glenthorne Farm, a site used for training warhorses and as a colonial research station.

The federally funded program teaches both students and traditional owners practical skills in archaeological surveying, ground-imaging, and excavation. While the traditional owners do not receive formal qualifications, they earn a certificate equivalent to one graduate level topic in archaeology. Professor Ian Moffat of Flinders University says the program allows traditional owners to share their cultural knowledge and perspectives on heritage management with the students.

Traditional owners describe the program as a two-way learning experience that helps preserve and pass down cultural history to future generations. Participants like Aunty Lorna Corbett and Ashley Wedding-Corbett noted the importance of involving First Nations people in the initial stages of work on Country. The university has secured funding to run the program for the next five years, and participants hope it will become a permanent fixture.