From Discovery to Commoditization: Rock Art Management in Remote Australia

The Canning Stock Route traverses 1,800 kilometers of the Australian Western Desert, providing access to ranges where unexpectedly rich rock art has been located over the past 20 years. Burgeoning four - wheel drive tourism has seen a " commoditization " of this art. A recently completed research collaboration with multiple Indigenous and industry partners is described whereby these sites have been placed within the wider context of local and regional archaeology, Indigenous contemporary values, and governance initiatives. This chapter shows how the strategic management of rock art in archaeological and ethnographic context can contribute toward a sustainable management regime along a globally significant linear cultural landscape.