LESSONS IN LOSS: THE JUUKAN GORGE

In May this year we lost a precious thing. We did not know that we would mourn it, and many of us did not know how important it was until after it was gone. Months on, we are united in our grief, and we are resolute that it should never happen again. On 24 May, Rio Tinto detonated explosives at one of the oldest sites of human occupation on the continent, decimating a place that was both ancient and sacred. The blasts destroyed two culturally significant rock shelters, one of which had chronicled 46,000 years of Aboriginal history. Now people the whole world over know its name: the Juukan Gorge.

A parliamentary enquiry has been launched; a Royal Commission has been called for. Rio Tinto has been stripped of its human rights ranking. Shirking accountability at every corner, the mining company blamed flaws in systems, data sharing and decision-making. Bonuses were cut. A few executives stepped down.