Murujuga Rock Art Wins UNESCO World Heritage Status

Published on 7.12.25

The Murujuga Rock Art in Western Australia's Burrup Peninsula has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, becoming Australia's 21st site on the list. The decision comes after a 20-year campaign by Indigenous leaders to protect the landscape, which features petroglyphs dating back at least 45,000 years. However, concerns over environmental damage from industrial emissions and nearby mining developments have been raised, with UNESCO approval seen as a significant victory for Indigenous culture and heritage in Australia.

References

https://www.smh.com.au/national/a-50-000-year-old-wa-rock-art-is-added-to-the-world-heritage-list-20250712-p5mehh.html

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/nation/australias-aboriginals-win-bid-for-unesco-listing-of-ancient-site/article_8c327e58-7809-5088-937c-904c72ba200e.html

https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/murujuga-rock-art-given-unesco-world-heritage-status-20250712-p5mee4.html

https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/crunch-time-looms-in-paris-for-murujuga-rock-art-world-heritage-bid-20250710-p5me06.html

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-12/paris-unesco-world-heritage-ruling-on-murjuga-rock-art-wa/105522888

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