Aboriginal heritage

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Aboriginal heritage

No other country on Earth has the ancient stories and culture evident on rock art sites and rock wells throughout parks in Victoria, Australia. The Grampians National Park is the richest site for Aboriginal rock art in Victoria. The region has the largest number of rock art sites in southern Australia and 90 per cent of Victoria’s known rock art sites, some dating back more than 20,000 years. About 140 rock art sites are recorded in the Grampians National park with five sites open to the public. Most art sites are under rock over hangs providing shelter and strategic viewing points of the surrounds.

Visit Brambuk the National Park and Cultural Centre to learn more about the Aboriginal culture and history of Grampians National Park.

Experience Aboriginal culture

A young couple walks up through ancient lava flows to Sundial Peak in the Central Grampians.

Grampians National Park

Rising abruptly from the surrounding Western Plains, the Grampians (Gariwerd) is a series of rugged sandstone mountain ranges and forests rich in wildlife. One of Victoria’s most popular holiday destinations, the park is a great venue for camping, climbing, scenic drives, bushwalks and nature study.

Budj Bim National Park

Budj Bim is a long dormant volcano. Budj Bim is the source of the Tyrendarra lava flow which extends over 50km to the southwest. It is central to the history of the Gunditjmara people.

A waterfall in the Tarra Bulga National Park

Cultural Heritage Tarra-Bulga National Park

Tarra-Bulga sits in a significant part of the Gunaikurnai cultural landscape - on their creation storyline, where Borun travelled carrying his canoe from the mountains to the sea. There is still much work to be done to fully understand the cultural values within the park, but the significant remnants of old growth forest are characteristic of a period when only Gunaikurnai were present on the land.

Raymond Island Gippsland Lakes Reserve

Gippsland Lakes Reserve, situated on Raymond Island on Tatungalung Country, is highly significant to Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners due to its remarkable Aboriginal cultural heritage. Just a short ferry ride from Paynesville, you can leave the car behind and explore the island by foot or bike, or bring your car with you for a small fee. Raymond Island is a haven for wildlife, especially well known for its large koala population.

Cultural Heritage Lake Tyers State Park

Bung Yarnda (Lake Tyers) was an important meeting place for Gunaikurnai groups throughout the area. Find out more about the rich Aboriginal Cultural Heritage of Lake Tyers.

Two kayakers come across a group of pelicans on the Gippsland Lakes.

Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park

The tranquil Gippsland Lakes are a system of coastal lagoons separated from the Tasman Sea by the coastal dunes of the Ninety Mile Beach. Seven rivers terminate at the lakes – the Latrobe, Avon, Nicholson, Tambo, Mitchell, Macalister and Thomson rivers.

Buchan Caves Reserve

Near the township of Buchan, lies a honeycomb of caves full of spectacular limestone formations. The caves were formed by underground rivers cutting through limestone rock

The Lakes National Park

The Lakes National Park is a peaceful bushland retreat in the Gippsland Lakes, fringed by the waters of Lake Victoria and Lake Reeve.

The Mitchell River flows through the country side.

Cultural Heritage

Mitchell River National Park, on Brabralung Country, has a rich cultural history that tells of tribal conflict, ceremonies, food gathering, community life and local spirits.

Woven Together By Spirit

For many Victorians, Castlemaine Diggings is synonymous with the gold rush: that famous period in the late 1800s when thousands of migrants flocked to Central Victoria to seek their fortunes on the gold fields. But Castlemaine Diggings Heritage National Park and its surrounding areas have a history much older and richer than the precious metal industry that briefly but dramatically occupied the landscape.

Need to know

Aboriginal heritage

Managing Country Together

Parks Victoria recognises that Aboriginal people have lived across Victoria for over a thousand generations, maintaining complex societies with languages, kinship systems, laws and spiritualties. Aboriginal people are the original inhabitants, or First Peoples, of this state. Land forms the basis of Aboriginal existence and identity which, along with water and natural resources were sustainably managed according to traditional laws and customs.