UNESCO just added this WA landmark to its World Heritage list

By Emily Murphy
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It’s over 47,000 years old, more remote than Uluṟu, and finally recognised as one of the most significant cultural sites on Earth.

Western Australia is now home to the world’s newest UNESCO World Heritage listing. The Murujuga Cultural Landscape, located in the remote Pilbara region near Karratha, has officially been inscribed as a Cultural World Heritage site, joining the ranks of Budj Bim, Uluṟu and Kakadu. It’s a moment First Nations Custodians have fought for over decades, and a decision that comes with both celebration and concern.

The listing was confirmed on 11 July 2025 at UNESCO’s 47th World Heritage Committee meeting in Paris.

A spiritual and cultural win

Murujuga Cultural Landscape rock art

Murujuga has been inscribed as a Cultural World Heritage site. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Murujuga – home to one of the world’s oldest and largest known collections of engraved rock art – was recognised for its outstanding cultural and spiritual value, inscribed for bearing exceptional testimony to one of the world’s oldest continuing cultures. The petroglyphs that cover the peninsula depict everything from thylacines and turtles to early human life and ancestral stories.

“Our rock art tells the stories of our people, and maintains our songlines and bloodline connection to our ngurra (Country)," said Raelene Cooper, a Murujuga custodian of the Mardudhunera people and founder of Save Our Songlines, who travelled to Paris to witness the announcement.

Murujuga Cultural Landscape rock art Turtle petroglyphs

The rock art tells ancient stories. (Image: Save our Songlines)

The inscription has been decades in the making, led by the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) and supported by the WA Government.

“This is an exceptionally proud moment for us," MAC chair Peter Hicks said.

“It is recognition of the hard work that MAC has put in to progressing this nomination, but it is also recognition of the way our ancestors have managed this extraordinary landscape for over 50,000 years. We are proud to continue that legacy."

However, concerns remain. The site is surrounded by heavy industry, including Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project, and decades of emissions have raised alarms among scientists and custodians alike.

Is Murujuga still at risk?

Murujuga Cultural Landscape rock art platform aerial

The decision comes with both celebration and concern. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

In a rare move, the inscription came with an official amendment calling for “continued research and monitoring" of industrial impacts on the site.

Recent research by Bonn University and a report from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) – UNESCO’s own advisory body – have warned that industrial emissions are accelerating the degradation of the rock surfaces, potentially erasing thousands of years of history. Some argue that the Australian Government downplayed this data in their executive summary to UNESCO.

“The final decision today falls well short of the protections that expert body ICOMOS has recommended," Cooper said.

“But comments from World Heritage Committee members today send a clear signal to the Australian Government and Woodside that things need to change to prevent the ongoing desecration of Murujuga by polluting industry."

Murujuga Cultural Landscape rock art kangaroo petroglyph

Scientific data demonstrated the advanced weathering of the Murujuga petroglyphs. (Image: Save our Songlines)

Ben Smith, Professor of Archaeology (World Rock Art) at the University of Western Australia, said that the scientific data clearly demonstrated the advanced weathering of the Murujuga petroglyphs from pollutants from the Woodside gas processing facility.

“One only hopes that Murujuga’s listing as a World Heritage Site spurs the government to no longer shirk their responsibility to conserve and protect this globally significant rock art site, and we see proper measures put in place to stop the polluting gas industry from degrading our First Nations cultural heritage," Smith said.

In May, Environment Minister Murray Watt granted conditional approval for Woodside to extend its gas processing operations on the Burrup Peninsula until 2070. The conditions are yet to be made public.

How to visit with respect

Murujuga Cultural Landscape aerial

Visitors can join cultural tours run by Traditional Custodians. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

The Murujuga Cultural Landscape is accessible via Karratha, and visitors can join cultural tours run by Traditional Custodians through the MAC, which provide insight into the ancient stories, Dreaming and deep connections that shape this living landscape.

Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her time at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? Tasmania and The Kimberley.
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    It’s known for its blazing red earth and industrial prowess, but a host of new hospitality venues is putting the Pilbara on the map for an entirely different reason. Rosamund Brennan carves a delicious route through this ancient landscape, discovering the food and wine experiences that are redefining the region.

    A rich spill of golden sunlight pours over the beach, known to locals as Turtle Bay. Bowing palms and frangipani trees whisper in the breeze, and the departing sun glows an incandescent blood red, mirroring the cracked crimson earth below.

    It’s an intoxicating scene: one you might expect to find in coveted tropical havens such as Broome or Far North Queensland. But this radiant stretch of coastline hems the bustling mining town of Port Hedland in Western Australia’s northern Pilbara region – a place known for its colossal iron ore ships and cargo trains snaking through the desert.

    Amid the clamour of industry in this rough-and-tumble frontier town, surprising pockets of tranquillity abound. In recent years, hospitality and tourism operators have harnessed the region’s yin and yang beauty, with ramshackle old pubs being renovated, a new world-class marina unveiled, cycle paths laid out along the coast and a smattering of bars and restaurants sprouting up across town.

    the Pilbara landscape at sunset

    Soak up one of the Pilbara’s spectacular sunsets. (Image: Greg Snell/Tourism Western Australia)

    The Palm Springs-inspired dining destination

    The most notable opening is Rays, a lush Palm Springs-inspired bar and restaurant clasping the Indian Ocean.

    the view of Indian Ocean from the verandah

    Take in views of the Indian Ocean from the verandah.

    This multimillion-dollar redevelopment by the Prendiville Group is part of the Hedland Hotel, a revitalised 1960s-era motel offering sophisticated coastal accommodation just two kilometres from the town centre.

    the bed at The Hedland Hotel

    Stay at The Hedland Hotel.

    I sit on the patio sipping on a negroni, joined by a throng of locals and holidaymakers gathering to soak up that golden afternoon light. The scene recalls the work of iconic photographer Slim Aarons, who captured the opulence of Palm Springs in the ’60s. Rows of white breezeblocks dissect the sprawling al fresco dining area, where high tables are crowned with bright yellow and orange umbrellas.

    a Palm Springs-inspired restaurant interior at Rays Port Hedland

    Rays is a Palm Springs-inspired restaurant at Port Hedland.

    The crowd is a mixture of mining execs, blokes in high-vis gear, local cool kids and expat families who’ve come here from across the world to get a slice of the good life.

    the exterior of Rays at the Hedland Hotel

    Rays is part of the Hedland Hotel.

    While the clientele might not be quite as chic as those in Aarons’ glamorous portraits, Rays has clearly become the go-to hangout in town. This is owing not only to its sumptuous setting but the high calibre of its food and wine, overseen by Prendiville Group’s director of food and veteran Perth chef Russell Blaikie, alongside executive chef Mitch Mezciems.

    a spread of food and drinks at Rays Port Hedland

    The menu is filled with So-Cal flavours.

    The menu has a distinctly Southern Californian flavour while showcasing top-notch Western Australian produce. The popular seafood tower, which feels almost as tall as the town’s giant dockside cranes, is piled high with Exmouth prawns and oysters, king crab, Abrolhos Island scallops and Western rock lobster, among other delicacies.

    An enormous range of dishes fly out of the kitchen, from a tender 700-gram rib-eye on the bone to tasty fish tacos and woodfired pizzas, whipped up by Italian chef Giosue ‘Joe’ Pinto at the onsite pizzeria – which, Russell says, features “the Rolls Royce of pizza ovens”. The drinks are going down a treat too, with guests savouring colourful cocktails (try the zesty Palm Springs) and a decent selection of wines, drawn from the most extensive list in town.

    Italian chef Giosue ‘Joe’ Pinto making dough for pizza at Rays Port Hedland

    Italian chef Giosue ‘Joe’ Pinto makes dough for diners at Pizza at Rays.

    If you bring the right gear (aka closed-in shoes), you can walk out over Turtle Bay’s fringing reef at low tide. I wasn’t prepared for the assignment but watched on gleefully as a family next to us returned with videos of an octopus squirming over the reef. The bay is also an important nesting ground for flatback sea turtles, and if you visit between October and March, you might be lucky enough to witness their young being hatched.

    an aerial view of the desert and turquoise sea on Mackerel Islands

    The desert meets turquoise sea. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

    Stumbling across an oasis in the desert

    The next morning, we hit the road to discover another of the Pilbara’s new hospitality gems. On the 2.5-hour drive west towards Karratha, a swirl of brown, pink and red splashes across the earth like a Jackson Pollock painting. It’s a stifling hot afternoon and arriving at the Karratha International Hotel is truly like stumbling upon an oasis in the desert.

    an aerial view of Cape Keraudren

    Explore the remote Pilbara. (Image: Sean Scott/Tourism Western Australia)

    Local families are relaxing by the hotel pool fringed by palm trees. Parents are reading contentedly on sun loungers while their kids run amok and a lovely breeze wafts through the space. “We’re very invested in creating offerings that appeal to our communities first and foremost,” says hotel manager Paul Gray, who invites locals to come and use the facilities among paying guests.

    the Karratha International Hotel Pool surrounded by palm trees

    Cool off in the hotel pool.

    The venue also attracts the many road-trippers who stop through Karratha while touring the region’s natural spoils. And after tasting the food that’s on offer at its Italian restaurant Luce Bar e Cibo, I can see why. Helmed by executive chef Nazim Khan, the kitchen pumps out exquisitely prepared classics such as house-made gnocchi with veal osso buco and juicy gamberi (prawns) grilled on a bed of scampi butter. Washed down with a limoncello spritz, so good I ordered a second, it’s a truly memorable Mediterranean feast.

    poolside eats from the Italian restaurant Luce Bar e Cibo

    Dine by the poolside at the Italian restaurant Luce Bar e Cibo.

    Emerging out of the restaurant into its soaring pagoda, where locals and guests are resting from the mid-afternoon heat, I’m beginning to see the appeal of this stretch of dry country where the desert meets the sea. It’s not only rich in resources, but in flavours and cultures, and people from all walks of life who come here to start anew. Salute to that.