About the Collaboration
Mithaka People have lived and worked across the Channel Country for generations and hold strong connections to the ancient and contemporary systems it supports. This includes Mithaka Peoples’ connections to the region’s communities, the Barcoo and Diamantina Shires, and tourism, pastoral and mining industries operating throughout the area.
Mithaka people have been involved with the pastoral industry in the Channel Country for many generations. Mithaka people have worked in many roles, including as stockmen and stockwomen and continue to work with pastoral stations across the region. Mithaka’s Native Title determined area includes certified organic properties from which OBE Organic sources livestock from.
Mithaka have custodial kinship with the lands and waters of the Channel Country which feed into Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre. As such, it is all of our responsibilities to protect her. One of the major threats facing Mithaka people’s relationship with their Country, is fracking (or unconventional gas extraction) and any mining in the rivers and floodplains of the Lake Eyre Basin.
For many years Mithaka has been advocating for stronger protection for the Lake Eyre Basin rivers and Channel Country floodplains so the outstanding cultural, grazing, and natural values can be sustained for future generations. In 2015, the incoming Palaszczuk Government in Queensland promised to strengthen protections but are yet to deliver on this promise.
Mithaka people and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised photographs in this collaboration contain images of persons who are pandani (deceased) which may cause sadness or distress.
About Mithaka Aboriginal Corporation
On 27th October 2015 the Mithaka People were awarded native title of 55,425 square kilometres of Queensland land and water, which rivals Tasmania in size. The Mithaka Aboriginal Corporation was founded to manage this native title.
In Queensland’s remote Channel Country of red dirt and gibber rock, archaeological discoveries are raising questions around the idea that Indigenous groups were nomadic hunter gatherers. While historical accounts have suggested Aboriginal Australians may have lived in permanent settlements, scientists say there is relatively limited archaeological evidence to back this up. But now, a unique collaboration between Mithaka traditional owners and scientists are unearthing skeletons, stone arrangements, and large-scale quarry sites that experts say may paint a new picture of early Aboriginal lives. Palaeontologists and geochronologists worked alongside Mithaka to launch drones into the sky in search of evidence suggesting early life.
Mithaka People are Traditional Owners who in accordance with Mithaka customary laws and traditions have social, economic, cultural and spiritual affiliations with, and responsibilities for, Mithaka traditional land and waters.
Mithaka Elder Uncle George Gorringe carefully moves stone artefacts to ensure they remain on Country, where they hold deep cultural and spiritual significance. Removing artefacts is strongly discouraged, as it can bring misfortune to the taker, and if used for research, they must always be returned promptly.
Dr. Kelsey Lowe from UQ’s School of Social Science uses ground penetrating radar to study a stone arrangement on Mithaka Country. This technology helps detect changes beneath the soil, such as hearths, fire remains, or potential burials, providing archaeologists with vital insights into past cultural activity.
In 2022, Mithaka representatives presented their groundbreaking research at the World Archaeological Congress in Prague. The delegation included Mithaka leaders and archaeologists, showcasing the global significance of discoveries made on Mithaka Country.
An image of Uncle Max Gorringe riding at the Tibooburra Rodeo in the 1980s highlights the family’s long connection to cattle and horses. The Gorringe children grew up in droving camps with their grandparents, learning the skills of stock work from a young age.
Born in Innamincka in 1947, Mithaka Elder Uncle George Gorringe has spent his life living and working in the Channel Country. A lifelong advocate for his people and land, he played a key role in opposing cotton farming on Cooper Creek in 1995 and continues to campaign against threats like unconventional gas mining today.
Uncle George Gorringe and Mrs. Elsie Debney attended the Kirrenderri, Heart of the Channel Country exhibition opening in 2022. Their families share a long history, including the 1889 “Debney Peace,” a rare treaty negotiated by Mithaka elders and settlers to end frontier violence in the Channel Country.
A remarkable rainforest sword was discovered in a desert creek bed in Mithaka Country, shedding light on ancient Indigenous trading networks. Carbon dating suggests it could be up to 350 years old, with experts calling the find a milestone in understanding long-distance exchange before colonisation.
Aunty Rainie telling stories to Mithaka youth at Cuttaburra Creek on the Mithaka Youth Camp while the rest of the group get dinner ready.
Large stone arrangements on Mithaka Country remain significant markers of ceremony and culture, though their full meaning is still being uncovered. Here, Mithaka representatives and researchers examine one of the impressive formations.
In 2022, Mithaka leaders presented their research at the World Archaeology Congress in Prague. The Kirrenderri, Heart of the Channel Country exhibition, co-curated with the University of Queensland, showcased Mithaka’s cultural heritage and archaeological discoveries on the global stage.
On the road again! Mithaka Youth Camp 2021 convoy pulled up at Carcoory hot springs to catch up with family who work for the Diamantina Shire Council.
Mithaka Elders Aunty Rainie McKellar and Aunty Bubsy Lander attended the opening of Kirrenderri, Heart of the Channel Country in 2022. The exhibition highlighted the proud collaboration between Mithaka and researchers to share the unique heritage of the Channel Country.