WEST KIMBERLEY PLACE REPORT - Department of Sustainability ...

Australian Museum in 1963 and 1967. These were headed by Harry Toombs a worker
at the Natural History Museum of London. Toombs refined the acetic acid method of
preparation of the Gogo fossils that successfully reveals the finely detailed 3D
preservation of the specimens. The joint expedition of the three museums in 1967 is
remarkable for the number of specimens it recovered, which fuelled research,
conducted mostly in Britain, for the next 40 years or so (Long 2006). Toombs and the
1967 expedition are well known to those who work with the Gogo site or at the
Natural History Museum (London) but are obscure to those outside of it. This
association is therefore not considered of outstanding heritage value to the nation.
The Gogo fossil sites do not have outstanding heritage value to the nation under
criterion (h) for special association with the life and works of Curt Teichert,
Harry Toombs or for the joint museum expeditions carried out in the 1960s.
CONTACT, CHANGE AND CONTINUITY
William Dampier (Cygnet) l688 landing place
As outlined under criteria (a) and (b) analyses, William Dampier is recognised as a
significant European explorer and an important figure in Australian history.
Dampier's ship, the Cygnet, was careened at Karrakatta Bay over a period of two
months in early 1688. He stayed at Karrakatta Bay longer than any previous
navigator, and as a result of the observations of Australia and its Indigenous people he
recorded in his journal and subsequently published, he came to be regarded as an
expert on the Pacific and Australia, was consulted by the British Government, and
was influential in fostering further exploration. Through the publication of his
journals of the voyage on the Cygnet, Dampier provided Europe with the first real
information on the new continent and commenced the process of revealing the
Australian continent in European consciousness. His travel experiences described in
his writing stimulated eighteenth century European exploration of the Pacific and
Australia and foreshadowed the later voyages of Cook.
Phillip Parker King
As outlined under criteria (a) and (b) analyses, Phillip Parker King is recognised as a
significant nineteenth century hydrographer and an important figure in Australian
history.
The Mermaid tree is one of a very few physical reminders of Phillip Parker King's
surveying expeditions (Pearson 2004). The assessment guidelines (AHC 2009)
indicate that under criterion (h) the association of a person to the place must be such
that the place greatly affected the person's philosophy or the place is associated with
an event or achievement which is significant in the course of the person's life or work
of significance to nation. Careening Bay and the Mermaid tree are not considered to
have greatly affected the course of King's life, career or work. In addition, while the
careening of his ship at Careening Bay was part of his 'great work' the place does not
comprehensively demonstrate his significance as an important figure in Australian
history.
In summary Careening Bay and the Mermaid tree has a special association with the
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