Lag Pulu (Pulu Islet)
Situated just off Mabuiag's western shore and one of the Torres Strait's oldest archaeological sites, Lag Pulu (Pulu Islet) is a small, sparsely wooded island. It is roughly rectangular and measures approximately 570 by 360 metres, with an area of around fifteen hectares. The surrounding waters contain extensive reefs and seagrass beds that provide significant habitat for dhangal (dugong), kaiyar (painted rock lobster), and waru (green turtle).
Granite boulders scattered along the islet's beaches, slopes and hill on the southern, western and northern shores contain two key sites for Mabuiag's Goemulgaw people. The kod ceremonial complex, with shrines of dugong bone mounds, shell arrangements, and associated rock art, is a location for male initiation ceremonies, mortuary rites, and rituals relating to war and hunting. Detailed recordings by Cambridge anthropologist Alfred Cort Haddon in 1898 represent the most comprehensive nineteenth-century archive of information about an Australian Indigenous ceremonial site.
Awgadhalkula, the islet's totemic skull cave, contained skulls from headhunting raids and sacred emblems associated with Kuyam, a legendary Mabuyag warrior.
Excavations in the island's rock shelters and caves have uncovered pottery from western Torres Strait clays dating back between 1700 and 2500 years, representing Indigenous Australia’s first known pottery tradition. Pulu is the site of Australia’s first known Indigenous pottery tradition. Archaeological excavations on Pulu have uncovered pottery made from western Torres Strait clays dating from 1,700 to 2,500 years ago. Pulu also has an ancient stone fish trap (graz).
After a decade of negotiation between the traditional owners, the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), and other government agencies, Lag Pulu was declared an Indigenous Protected Area in 2009. Mabuiag rangers regularly visit the islet to preserve cultural sites, record traditional knowledge, reduce weeds and introduced pests, remove marine debris, and undertake research activities.
The Goelmulgaw traditional owners plan to expand the IPA to include nearby Woeydhul and Mipa.
Missing links:
Goelmulgaw
Alfred Cort Haddon
Kuyam
Torres Strait Regional Authority
Indigenous Protected Area
