The ARC Training Centre for Archaeology in the Resources Sector

Presented by Professor Liam M Brady, Director of the ARC Training Centre for Archaeology in the Resource Sector, Flinders University.

Australia is unique in having an extraordinary 65,000-year archaeological record overlaying its vast mineral wealth. This intersection has inevitably created tension and conflict between Traditional Owners and the mining industry for decades. The Juukan Gorge disaster in 2020 in Western Australia’s Pilbara region brought heightened attention to the situation and the urgent need for a radical transformation in the way the mining industry handles cultural heritage management. As global demand for Australia’s critical and strategic minerals increases, so does the pressure on the relationship between the mining industry and Traditional Owners. How can the mining industry change the way it engages with archaeology and Indigenous cultural heritage to improve outcomes for everyone?

The new Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Archaeology in the Resources Sector is a unique, $18m collaboration between the ARC, universities, Traditional Owners, mining companies and cultural heritage consulting firms. It is designed specifically to address this question through a series of innovative research and training programs for archaeologists and Traditional Owners to safeguard cultural heritage sites and strengthen Australia’s approach to responsible mining.

Presented as part of the National Archaeology Week webinar series. Find the series details here.

When: 4-5pm ACST, Wednesday 20 May 2026

Where: Online, via zoom

Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g3JV8b8fRVCm_776MvcWcw