About

The Proper History Project is a collaborative effort led by the University of New England (UNE) and supported by the Western Cape Communities Trust, the Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council, the Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation, the Australian Research Council Linkage Projects Scheme (LP170100050) and the Queensland Museums Network (Brisbane).

This study explores life for the Old People after Europeans arrived in the northern Peninsula. This includes examining their experiences on early cattle stations, missions, mining camps, and boats. The ‘Proper History’ project aims to work with Custodians to create a respectful and comprehensive picture of the region’s history, showcasing local knowledge and experiences. We will locate and study old campsites from these early times and collaborate with Elders to write a book that reflects their words and ideas. Additionally, we intend to bring historical materials—such as old photos, diaries, reports, and taped stories—back to the community for their access and use. Our research will also involve visiting museums and archives to retrieve artefacts and information and returning them to the communities involved in the project. This website is designed to make that information available for the community.

Human Research Ethics Approval:

This project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at UNE (Approval No: HE20-219, ongoing). The approval ensures that all research activities adhere to strict ethical guidelines, ensuring respectful and responsible engagement with community knowledge and cultural heritage. The research was designed in accordance with guidelines of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Guidelines for Ethical Research in Indigenous Communities.

Research Team:

The project team includes Dr Mick Morrison and Dr. Darlene McNaughton (UNE), the late community leader David Claudie (Kuuku I'yu / Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation), Dr Brit Asmussen (Senior Curator at the Queensland Museum) and PhD candidates Cassandra Schill (Archaeology) and  Alvine Mulligan (History). Other student researchers over the years have also contributed and their work is listed within this database. We are also grateful to the expertise of many colleagues guiding early data collection and research design, notably, Professor Heather Burke,  Professor  Shawn Ross, Dr Brian Ballsun-Stanton and Dr Adela Sobotkova.

Community Participation:

Community participation is central to this project. The research team has worked with local Custodians to conduct interviews, document heritage sites, and facilitate workshops. This includes work by project researchers Morrison and McNaughton from 2000–2018 through earlier research studies, as well as other interviews that our research team have located since then. In addition, we include here a wealth of other resources for family, cultural, ecological, environmental and anthropological research. The primary goal is for this research database to be accessible to people in Napranum and Weipa, with historical links to the region.

Additional interviews can be undertaken on request if you or a family member would like to add to the Digital Keeping Place. If you would like to participate or request an interview with a family or community member, please get in touch with us through our contacts page. Community members can participate anonymously, and their data use and sharing preferences will be fully respected. Or, they can be fully acknowledged as a Custodian or Historical/Cultural Knowledge Holder. Each interview is subject to informed consent, and preferences about access are respected permanently in the digital archive.