Banjima Country & Community

Banjima Country is located in the central Pilbara region of Western Australia and covers more than 1 million hectares of land. The Banjima People continue to have a strong bond to this ancient landscape and the unique places within it — including the Fortescue Marsh and Karijini National Park.

The majority of our Banjima community now live across Western Australia, from Perth to the Pilbara’s regional centres of Karratha, Roebourne, Onslow, and Port Hedland, and in a number of remote Pilbara communities such as Youngaleena, Wakathuni, and Wirrilimarra.

After 15 years of struggle and a long legal battle with the WA government, the Banjima People were granted determination of Native Title on 11 March 2014.

To Banjima People, all Banjima Country and its elements are important: the animals and plants; the landscape; the water; and the connection to culture. All these have great cultural and spiritual importance, and Banjima people have stories about many of these that help their conservation and understanding.

The Pilbara biogeographic region has a wealth of biodiversity and other environmental values, evidenced by its diverse range of terrestrial, aquatic and marine landscapes, numerous flora and fauna species and communities, nationally listed wetlands, and ecological features endemic to the region.

In addition to being one of 15 biodiversity hotspots in Australia, the region is also one of Australia’s development hotspots and is of substantial economic importance to Western Australia and Australia.