Many main roads in WA are built on journey ways that were walked by Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years. They were walked as songlines, trade routes and seasonal runs. Songlines are living narratives, usually a journey made by one of the spiritual ancestors. Songlines have layers of meaning revealed slowly over a lifetime. Trade routes are movements made by larger groups travelling to traditional gathering places for trading, lore and ceremony. Runs are the movements of family groups taking particular routes enabling them to enjoy the benefits of the six seasons.

The WA Aboriginal Journey Ways project is a collaboration between Kurongkurl Katitjin, Edith Cowan University, and Main Roads Western Australia. The aim is to research and articulate traditional cultural meanings of selected Aboriginal journey ways that are aligned with modern main roads and bridges. A small research team, including Aboriginal researchers, is visiting custodial Elders across the State collecting stories that will be collated and published.

Stage 1, which runs through 2016, focuses on Nyoongar territory. Stage 2 will focus on the Goldfields, Gascoyne, Midwest and Pilbara, and Stage 3 will focus on the Kimberley region.

For more information, contact: Dr Francesca Robertson, Edith Cowan University, by email - f.robertson@ecu.edu.au

Image credit: 'The long road' by Grant Stainer, entrant in Wheatbelt NRM's 2016 Youth Environment Photography Award, http://www.wheatbeltnrm.org.au/photocomp-2016