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Budj Bim Cultural Landscape

Budj Bim (Mt Eccles), Tae Rak (Lake Condah) & Tyrendarra Area

 

The descendants of the Gunditjmara peoples of southwest Victoria have been active for decades in preserving the ingenious stone fish and eel traps and stone huts at Tae Rak (Lake Condah) and advocating for their protection.

 

Carbon dating of charcoal found during excavations showed the Budj Bim stone-walled fish trap complex to be more than 6,600 years old – one of the world’s first engineering projects and the oldest continuously used fish trap system in the world, predating the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge. It is also one of Australia’s oldest and largest aquaculture systems – a sophisticated network of stone channels, weirs, and graded ponds spanning the volcanic lava flow, in which water levels were manipulated to manage, hold, and harvest kooyang (short-finned eels).

 

Here, the Gunditjmara people lived in large, permanent stone-walled settlements, permanently dispelling the myth that Australia’s Indigenous people were exclusively nomadic.

 

Recognition

 

Budj Bim was awarded Australian National Heritage listing in 2004. In 2007, the Gunditjmara were granted Native Title over the area and a sustainable management plan was put in place. The historical drainage system that had impacted the lake was successfully plugged, allowing the waterways to return to their natural courses and the ancient stone traps to fill with water once more.

 

World Heritage Inscription

 

Following a formal nomination by the Federal Government, the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape was officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 6 July 2019.

 

The decision marked a historic milestone, as Budj Bim became the first Australian property to be inscribed on the World Heritage List exclusively for

its Aboriginal cultural values, globally recognizing the outstanding universal value of Gunditjmara engineering and stone construction.

 

What happens now

 

Today, the landscape is managed through a cooperative partnership between the Gunditjmara Traditional Owners (represented by the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation) and Parks Victoria. The land is protected under strict international treaties and national heritage laws.

 

The Budj Bim Rangers actively care for Country by maintaining the ancient stone channels, mapping new structures with modern laser technology, and conducting cultural burning. Sustainable cultural tourism has also been established, allowing the Gunditjmara to share their enduring engineering legacy with visitors from around the world.

 

Budj Bim National Park

 

The area formerly known as Mt Eccles National Park was officially renamed Budj Bim National Park in April 2017, following community consultation by Parks Victoria that demonstrated 80% support for honoring the site's traditional Gunditjmara name.

 

News releases, educational resources and reports

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