The collection comprises a variety of basalt, fine-grained siliceous, greywacke and serpentine axes.

Originally collected by the Mallam family when they lived on the Hernani property near Ebor in the early 1960s, the collection was recently donated to the cultural centre by the Mallam family.

Recently two environmental consultants from Sydney based environmental consultancy NGH spent a rainy day at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place cataloguing artefacts instead of being out in the field.

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They were invited by local Anaiwan man, Steven Ahoy (one of the Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs) for the project) and the cultural centre to catalogue and examine the box of artefacts.

While the NGH team were there, they measured, catalogued, and described the artefacts so that the Cultural Centre could properly document the artefacts and so that they could put them on display with more information.

The repatriation of the axes back to the local community to encourage cultural education for local people and visitors to the cultural centre demonstrates a simple but beyond valued act of reconciliation and collaboration with the local Armidale community.

Reconciliation Week begins on Friday and this year's theme is 'More than a word: reconciliation takes action'.

The ethos of the cultural centre and representatives of the local Aboriginal community is to encourage a relationship with local landholders to work together to identify and protect the local cultural heritage of the region.

Many artefacts have been collected over time by generations of people working on properties and appreciation of the unique cultural and scientific values associated with such artefacts has grown according to environmental consultant Chelsea Jones.

"NGH Pty Ltd knows that working with local landholders often offers the opportunity to identify scarred trees and artefactual material that they have noticed while working the land for many years," said environmental consultant Chelsea Jones.

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"By sharing this knowledge and working with local Aboriginal groups, shared information and positive management recommendations for these materials are bolstering our understanding of the local cultural history."

While repatriation of cultural materials is highly encouraged Ms Jones said, a key tenet of this "action" is to foster collaborative relationships between local Aboriginal groups, local landholders, proponents of local development initiatives and archaeologists.

"Reconciliation is working together to connect with heritage of the past and build relationships and education for the future," she said.

Reconciliation Week from May 27 to June 3.

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