1699

William Dampier anchors off one of the islands and records signs of burning and smoke in the distance

1801, 1803

French scientific expedition under Nicolas Baudin visits Depuch Island

1818

Phillip Parker King visits the Dampier Archipelago during a survey of the NW coast of Australia

1840s

American whalers active in the Dampier Archipelago

1861

Explorer Francis Gregory establishes a base at Hearson Cove to explore inland as far as the Ashburton and De Gray Rivers

1863

Port established at Tien Tsin (later Cossack). Walter Padbury and John Wellard establish first pastoral runs in the region

1864

John and Emma Withnell establish a station at Mt Welcome

1865

J.P Stow explores Dampier Archipelago

1866

Smallpox epidemic. Overland stock route established from Geraldton to Roebourne. Townsite of Roebourne gazetted

1867

Pearling industry begins, with Aboriginal and Malay divers

1868

Reprisal raids, known as the Flying Foam massacre, kill large numbers of Yaburara people

1870

Another smallpox epidemic. Whaling station established on Malus Island.

1870s on

Dampier Archipelago becomes a major pearling centre and commercial fishery

1872

Malus Island whaling station closes. Townsite of Cossack gazetted.

1873

Copper discovered near Roebourne

1875

John Forrest completes survey of Nickol Bay district

1886

Aboriginal Protection Board established

1888

Gold discovered in the Pilbara

1900

Pearling fleet moves to Broome

1908

Proposal to build a railway from Marble Bar to the coast to service the West Pilbara Goldfields and Depuch Island suggested as the site for a port

1961

Development of iron ore in the Pilbara leads to new proposals for a deep water port at Depuch Island, about 100km to the east of the Dampier Archipelago

1962

Western Australian Museum expedition to Depuch Island. Australian Academy of Science recommends the entire Dampier Archipelago be listed as an A class reserve.

1963

Hamersley Iron and Dampier Salt begin operations on Dampier Island. Causeway constructed connecting Dampier Island to the mainland to form the Burrup Pensinsula

1966

Dampier townsite established. First iron ore shipment from Dampier.

1968

Karratha established

1968-70

Robert Bednarik, project manager for an engineering firm based in Dampier. Records archaeological sites throughout the Pilbara, especially rock art on Dampier Island

1970-6

Enzo Virili, Project Engineer for Dampier Salt. Documents major rock art complexes, and reports damage to the Skew Valley midden

1972

Department of Aboriginal Sites established at the Western Australian Museum, with Warwick Dix as the first Registrar of Aboriginal Sites

1972

Aboriginal Heritage Act (WA) passed. Hamersley Iron constructs port facilities at Parker Point and East Intercourse Island. Discovery of natural gas on the North-West Shelf.

1974-5

Michel Lorblanchet excavates Skew Valley midden and makes detailed records of petroglyphs at Skew Valley and Gum Tree Valley complexes

1974

Commonwealth and State governments initiate the Pilbara Study, for planning resource development. Registrar Warwick Dix writes a report on Aboriginal heritage that is not included in the Pilbara Study.

1978

Woodside Petroleum begins environmental assessment for the development of onshore gas treatment plant and facilities on the Burrup. Two alternative preferred sites—King Bay/Withnell Bay and Searipple Passage—identified. DAS conducts preliminary field reconnaissance of the two alternative sites and recommends the southern option, because of the quantity of Aboriginal sites at the northern end of the Burrup and the associated destruction along the entire length of the Burrup if the northern site were chosen. DAS reports on archaeological surveys of areas scheduled for development stress the richness of the cultural heritage and the need for proper management.

1979

Dampier Island officially renamed Burrup Peninsula

1980

Woodside Petroleum contracts the Western Australian Museum to undertake site salvage. Department of Industrial Development commissions a report on land and port planning on the Burrup (Clough/SLAM 1980). The report concludes that there was no serious conflict between industrial development and conservation. Bruce Wright, Registrar of Aboriginal Sites, responds with detailed proposal for recording, salvage, scientific investigation and preservation of sites in the Dampier Archipelago.

1980-1

Dampier Archaeological Project documents 720 registered sites, including nearly 10,000 petroglyphs.

1980

Cabinet adopts Clough/SLAM report as a guide for industrial development of the Burrup

1981

Wright updates his proposal for the investigation of the Burrup. DAS begins a National Estate site recording program and initiates consultation with Aboriginal communities in Onslow and Roebourne. The project was interrupted by urgent site recording work associated with the Harding River development and never resumed.

1984

Two areas on the Burrup declared Protected areas under the Aboriginal Heritage Act—the ‘Climbing Men’ site and an area at the north end of the Burrup. These areas, and the site complexes at Skew Valley and Gum Tree Valley, were also listed on the Register of the National Estate. Watering Cove and the Pistol Range also proposed as protected areas and nominated to the National Estate register. Lorblanchet conducts further rock art recording at Gum Tree Valley with funding from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies

1987

CALM involves Roebourne Aboriginal community in inspection of sites on the Islands. Aborignal community perform a ceremony for the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee at Hearson Cove

1990

Dampier Salt applies to increase salt field capacity to 4 million tonnes per annum. CALM completes a management plan for the Dampier Archipelago Nature Reserves, subsequently approved by the Minister for the Environment.

1991

Pilbara Region Economic Development Overview (Pilbara 21) study makes no mention of Aboriginal Heritage

1991-3

CALM conducts a survey of the heritage values of the Burrup Peninsula with funding from the National Estate Grants program. This identifies 498 sites.

1992

State Development Department commissions a discussion paper on land use strategy for the Burrup.

1994

Following the Native Title Act of 1993, representatives of Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi people lodge a native title claim over an area of the West Pilbara including the Burrup. Preliminary studies of Maitland Industrial Estate begin. O’Brien Planning Consultants prepare a draft land use plan and management strategy for the Burrup Peninsula Management Advisory Board. This plan cannot be assessed by the EPA for legal reasons.

1996

Burrup Land Use Plan and Management Strategy released.

1995-2002

Heritage surveys conducted in association with various developments including BHP Methanol Plant, Pilbara Energy Pipeline, Plenty River Ammonia Plant, Withnell East Industrial Estate, Dampier Nitrogen, Burrup Fertilisers, Methanex, and infrastructure corridors. 

1997

Department of Resources Development and Landcorp commission heritage surveys of the proposed Maitland Heavy Industry Estate, and island areas affected by the proposals. They also commission a survey of the King Bay-Hearson Cove industrial area.

2001

Woodside begins work on gas plant extension.

2002

National Trust (WA) places Dampier Rock Art Precinct on its Endangered Places List. WA State government establishes Burrup Rock Art Monitoring committee to address concerns about the impact of industrial emissions on the petroglyphs.

2003

National Trust (WA) holds a public forum to promote community consultation and awareness. World Monuments Fund places Dampier Rock Art Precinct on its List of Most Endangered Places. Burrup and Maitland Industrial Estates agreement struck between the WA state government and Native Title claimants. This includes provision for 60% of the Burrup to be conservation reserve, joint management by local indigenous communities and CALM, funding and development of management plan for the non-industrial area and substantial financial compensation for the Native Title claimants. National Native Title recognises claims of Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi but finds that native title no longer exists over the Burrup.

2004

New Commonwealth heritage legislation comes into effect. National Trust (WA) and others request emergency listing to the National Heritage List

2005

Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage commissions a report on the significance of the rock art. The minister defers his decision on National Heritage listing.

2006

National Trust (WA) secures World Monuments Fund support and holds a series of forums to raise community awareness.