Dabangay (Dabangai) Restoration Project
The Dabangay Restoration Project is protecting and restoring the cultural and natural heritage of Dabangay – acknowledged as the oldest known site of human occupation in the Torres Strait, dating back over 7,200 years. This area holds deep historical and cultural significance, spanning ancestral times through to the pearling rush and the arrival of the London Missionary Society in 1872.
This grant supported the Dabangay Restoration Project to protect and restore one of the Torres Strait’s most significant cultural landscapes. The work combined Traditional Ecological Knowledge with practical land management, including clearing access to important sites, maintaining cultural and recreational areas, controlled burning, planting and natural pest control. The grant also supported community workshops, cultural storytelling led by Elders and stronger partnerships for the long-term care of Dabangay, helping reconnect people with Country while building resilience to erosion, weeds and climate impacts.
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