Rangers fed up with disrespect for Dog Rock, as latest items placed atop the culturally significant landmark

Community frustration is mounting after multiple shopping trolleys were placed on Albany’s Dog Rock, raising concerns about respect for the culturally significant site.

Dog Rock is an iconic landmark of Albany and holds cultural significance through connections to the Dreamtime for the Noongar people of Albany, who know it as Yakkan Toort.

People have historically placed items such as shopping trolleys, mattresses, traffic cones and other debris atop the landmark as a prank, Binalup Aboriginal Corporation ranger Shawn Colbung said this behaviour was extremely disappointing to see.

“I’m a bit disappointed just to see that there’s not that care factor,” he said.

“From our point of view, it’s terrible and disrespectful.

“We don’t like to see it happening — it’s not the first time, these sort of things happen on a regular (basis).”

Mr Colbung said Dog Rock holds cultural significance for many Indigenous groups across Australia.

“This place is very important to our Noongar people and a lot of other Aboriginal groups around Australia,” he said.

“It is very important to our people and the wider Aboriginal community.

“I think there needs to be a little bit more awareness about how important it is to our Noongar people and Aboriginal people in general, but for people who call themselves Albany people it’s an iconic landmark for us all.”

Indigenous elder Glen Colbung said the site on Aberdeen Street is very important to Aboriginal people.

“It’s very significant because its got Dreamtime stories attached to it,” he said.

“It’s very significant Dog Rock because it travels in the Dreamtime from places like Alice Springs right across to Albany where the dog is now.”

Glen Colbung said these acts of vandalism show complete disregard and disrespect for the landmark.

“It shows a complete disregard and disrespect for Dog Rock, but also more specifically what it means to Aboriginal people not only in Albany but in other parts of the State,” he said.

“It shows the total childish behaviour from those people to do that and it shows they have absolutely no respect for the significance of what Dog Rock means to a lot of people.”