About Mirning

Learn more about the Mirning people, Mirning Country and WA Mirning People Aboriginal Corporation

WHO WE ARE

WA Mirning People aboriginal corporation

The Mirning Traditional Owners’ native title rights in Western Australia were recognised by the Federal Court on October 24, 2017. Their Native Title Determination was handed down at Low Point after 18 years of perseverance by the Mirning People. WA Mirning traditional lands cover 32,711 square kilometers stretching from the South Australian border to Caiguna in the west, and from the low water mark in the south, to the transcontinental lines in the north.

WA Mirning People Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (WAMPAC), was established by the Mirning People in 2019 to manage their Native Title rights and interests in Western Australia.

The Mirning People

The history of the Mirning People is one of resilience, adaptation, and cultural continuity. Mirning ancestors thrived in these lands for countless generations, relying on their deep connection to the environment to sustain their way of life.

Mirning culture has been passed down through storytelling, art, song, and ceremony, serving as a timeless link between past, present and future.

The story of the Mirniny People is one of resilience in the face of displacement. Many Mirniny were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in Western Australia during colonisation, taken to missions and stations around the state. The impacts of those removals can be felt today, with no Mirning people living on Country in WA.

Despite this painful history, Mirning People have maintained their connection to their traditional lands, making them more determined to uplift Mirning culture and create a strong Mirning community on Country in Western Australia.

Mirning Country WA

WA Mirning Country is nestled along the rugged and captivating coast of the Great Australian Bight, characterised by sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, and breathtaking vistas. For the Mirning people, their land holds deep cultural significance, serving as a source of sustenance, belonging, and spiritual connection for thousands of years.

Ancestral ties to the land and sea are central to Mirning culture, with stories dating back to the Dreaming. The Great White Whale Jeedara is revered as a guardian figure, entrusted with the protection of the oceans.

Water sources are of paramount importance to the Mirning people, reflecting their scarcity and preciousness in the arid environment of the Nullarbor Plain. Their language reflects this reverence, where the term “Gabbi Ngallung” signifies not just drinking water but “eating water”.

Mirning Country spans across the Great Australian Bight into South Australia. WA Mirning People Aboriginal Corporation Country looks after Mirniny Native Title rights in WA while Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation represent Mirniny native title rights in SA.

Meet the WAMPAC Board of Directors

Committed to upholding the rights and interests of the Mirning People, the WAMPAC Board serves a critical role with each member contributing to the collective vision of the broader Mirning community.

Serving a two-year term, our directors are elected at WAMPAC’s Annual General Meetings by their families.

The WAMPAC directors are representatives of their family line through an apical ancestor. If you would like to make contact with the director representing your family line, then please reach out to one of WAMPAC’s friendly staff via our contact page.

Committees of the WAMPAC board

WAMPAC's ILUA Committee

The Mirning People formally authorised WAMPAC to engage in Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) negotiations with Western Green Energy Hub (WGEH) at the 2022 Annual General Meeting. An ILUA is a voluntary agreement between Native Title Holders and other parties about the use of their land and/or waters.

WGEH is a large-scale renewable energy project proposed over 15,000 square kilometres of Mirning Country. The WGEH shareholders are Intercontinental Energy, CWP and Mirning Green Energy Limited (MGEL). MGEL is a commercial subsidiary of WAMPAC responsible for managing the 10 per cent shareholding in WGEH.

WGEH aspires to become the largest project of its kind globally.

WAMPAC’s ILUA Committee is in the early stages of negotiating with WGEH. WAMPAC is committed to ensuring free, prior and informed consent and will undertake comprehensive community consultations with Mirning People as negotiations develop.

WGEH can only go ahead with an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) in place.

The ILUA must go through three phases to pass:

Agreement by the negotiating committee
Approval by the WAMPAC Board and finally;
Approval by the WA Mirning Traditional Owners at an Authorisation Meeting.

The ILUA Committee members are: Shilloh Peel, Alwyn Graham, Leslie Schultz, Heathe Champion, John Graham, Travis Tucker and Daniel Tucker.

WAMPAC’s Heritage Committee

The WAMPAC’s current Heritage Committee was elected in 2025. Their responsibilities are to advice the WAMPAC Board and staff on matters relating to Mirning culture, heritage and its protection. The Heritage Committee members are John Graham , Anton Mundy, John Hirschausen, Andrew Beck, April Lawrie, Shondelle Coleman, Naomi Bonney, Adrianne Peel and four Spinifex People (two men and two women)

WAMPAC’s Commercial Subsidiary Mirning Green Energy Limited

Mirning Green Energy Limited (MGEL) is a not-for-profit charitable company set up by WAMPAC to manage the 10% shareholding in the proposed Western Green Energy Hub . MGEL was established in early 2021 by WAMPAC and operates as its own company, separate from the corporation. The other shareholders of WGEH are InterContinental Energy (46%) and CWP Global (44%).

MGEL owns minority share of 10 per cent in the proposed project and is not required to make any financial contributions to WGEH unless the project is approved. If the project is approved MGEL can choose to purchase or sell some or all of the shares.

MGEL exists to ensure that the shareholding is separate from the ILUA. It’s core function is to ensure any benefits flowing from the WGEH are managed in a way that supports the long-term economic, social and cultural development of the Mirning People.

MGEL has three directors on its board, Alywn Graham, Travis Tucker and Independent Director Daryl Smith. WAMPAC also has a permanent seat on the WGEH Board.

Visit WAMPAC’s contact page to get in touch with MGEL or go to their website www.mgel.au