Dambi ranger/research vessel Manambadda refit complete

The Dambimangari are the caretakers for the Warrorra people and their country. The country starts around a place called Cone Bay in Western Australia which is on the north side of the King Sound and finishes way up in the Prince Regent River. It includes places like the Buccaneer Archipelago, Talbot Bay, Montgomery Reef and the George Water to name a few places.

Over the recent months Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation (DAC) has been refitting the ranger/research vessel Manambadda to get her ready for its own in-house work and to supply a service to help researchers access Dambi country and for the traditional owners to, “maintain a connection to country”.

This vessel has been a long time in the making and the ranger team has put a lot of time into making the vessel work for remote areas. The team of fully qualified skippers and crew are mainly Warrorra people.

Manambadda is a 9.3-metre boat powered by twin 325hp outboards.

“It has a great range and can operate out on Dambi country for weeks without having to return to Derby for supplies but is small enough to hire for short periods of time,” DAC Marine Operations Officer Mitchell Castellarin explained. “We have a range of inhouse Dambi work to carry out throughout the season but the ranger team is looking for new contracts to help them manage the country they love. In future we hope that all research that is carried out on Dambi country can be done with the rangers.”