Travellers are being reminded that creating rock stacks on Country is not an acceptable practice.
The warning comes after Jawoyn Country rangers recently dismantled a rock stack in Nitmiluk National Park, just outside Katherine, Northern Territory.
“We don’t want this happening on Country,” says a ranger who then dismantles the layers of sandstone.
“Please don’t make rock stacks on Jawoyn Country. This rock stack was found in Nitmiluk National Park recently and was dismantled,” the post continues.
“Rock stacks are a disturbance to the natural values of Country,” it went on to explain. “Please respect Jawoyn Country when you visit Nitmiluk…”
Rocks stacking or creating cairns made with boulders has become an increasingly popular past-time of people walking through natural landscapes throughout the world.
While the practice is acceptable in some northern European countries, it is also culturally insensitive in many areas and upsets ecosystems underfoot.
They may also disturb existing Aboriginal stone arrangements where rock art has been constructed by Indigenous Australians, hundreds if not thousands of years beforehand. Some are significant in recording events such as European contact or have been used in an initiation ceremonies. Others record cardinal directions and significant events in the solstice or are fish traps.
Rock stacking in most US National Parks is punishable under the same laws that protect against vandalism and littering.
