Regional Spotlight: Budj Bim Cultural Landscape

Ngatanwarr Gunditjmara Mirring – Welcome to Gunditjmara Country.

Located in south-west Victoria, Budj Bim (‘Big Head’ in Gunditjmara) is named after the now dormant 30,000-year-old volcano that dominates the landscape. It is the only Australian UNESCO World Heritage site listed exclusively for its Aboriginal cultural values.

The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape shows the world's earliest living example of aquaculture with a history of kooyang (eel) farming dating back over 6,000 years.

History of aquaculture

Local Gunditjmara people used volcanic rock created by the Budj Bim lava flow to construct fish traps, weirs and ponds to manage the water flows from nearby Lake Condah in order to trap eels. The existence of these eel traps dispels the myth that Aboriginal people were primarily nomadic, living in resource-constrained environments.

The Gunditjmara people also crafted long eel baskets, made of river reeds and spear grass to regulate and trap the eels according to weight and size. Baskets were used to carry the eels, which sustained the lives of Gunditjmara for generations.

The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape or 'cultural precinct' is a series of locations, including Lake Condah, Muldoon's Trap Complex and the Tyrendarra Indigenous Protected Area.

New: Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre and Café

The new Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre is open to visitors Wednesdays to Sundays, set on the shores of Lake Condah. Explore significant Gunditjmara sites on a guided tour, and discover a vibrant Indigenous culture through shared stories. See the landscape through Gunditjmara eyes. Relax at the bush tucker café, where the menu features local produce infused with native seasonings, and sample one of the signature Kooyang (eel) Tasting Plates.

Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve

Travel 80 kilometres south east to Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve near Warrnambool and discover a wildlife haven contained in a volcanic formation that erupted around 32,000 years ago. Archaeological surveys of the area have uncovered axe heads and other artefacts in the volcanic ash layers: clues that local Aboriginal people witnessed these eruptions.

Take in panoramic views of the area from the top of the hill and join a local Aboriginal guide from Worn Gundidj at Tower Hill to get an understanding of the volcanic landscape and native flora and fauna.