Scar Trees trees scars on Owners created Traditional (e.g. various purposes bark for by removing shelter). and for shields; coolamons canoes; vary in size, expose the The scars, which the trunk or branch of a tree. sap wood on most likely over exhibiting scars are Trees 150 years old. Oven Mounds places where are Aboriginal mounds of Owners lived over long periods Traditional or oval shape. circular time. These are Lumps of burnt and small clay or stone often present. are fragments of charcoal tools and human Shells, animal bones, stone sometimes also present. burials are Middens a build-up shell midden sites are Freshwater the from shells resulting of discarded of freshwater gathering, cooking and eating Shell midden Owners. mussels by Traditional of cooking sites may also contain evidence and burnt stones, earth fire such as charcoal or clay. Sites Cultural Heritage Scattered the material Surface artefact scatters are past activities. Owner’s of Traditional remains Scatter sites usually contain stone cultural heritage sites, but other material such as may also animal bone, shell and ochre charcoal, exactly No two surface scatters are be present. the same. Surface scatters may be found Aboriginal occupation occurred. wherever Stone Tools visually distinctive and Most stone tools are the local soil and other natural stand out from usually them. Stone tools are stones around fine grained materials and range made from small flakes for cutting and scraping to from purpose made tools such as more larger grinding stones, axes and hammer stones. Burial Sites Aboriginal burial sites normally contain the of one or two people, although remains of cemeteries that contain the remains of people buried over thousands hundreds of years have been found. Please note: must be The discovery of any human remains to the police by law. immediately reported Hearth used in the past ‘hearths’ were Heat-retainer to cook food. They are Owner’s by Traditional banks, on lake usually found along creek in sand dunes, and exposed on margins, scalds and clay pans. Cultural Sites Cultural Cultural Sites Cultural NL NL NL CD ■ Emu-bush ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Calytrix tetragona Hakea tephrosperma Eremophila longifolia Pittosporum angustifolium Hooked Needlewood Common Fringe-myrtle Weeping Pittosporum (or Butterbush) Weeping Shrubs Shrubs NL NL NL NL ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Silver Cassia Bursaria spinosa Cherry Ballart ■ ■ ■ ■ Sweet Bursaria Senna artemisioides ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Exocarpos cupressiformis Wedge-leaf Hop-bush Wedge-leaf Dodonaea viscosa ssp. cuneata NL NL NL NL Yarran ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Grey Wattle Grey Acacia montana Mallee Wattle Golden Wattle Acacia pycnantha Acacia brachybotrya Acacia homalophylla Shrubs Shrubs JB NL NL NL ■ Acacia lineata ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Acacia oswaldii Acacia acinacea Banksia marginata Streaked Wattle Streaked Gold-dust Wattle Miljee (or Umbrella Wattle) Miljee (or Umbrella Honeysuckle (or Silver Banksia) NL NL NL NL ■ ■ Kurrajong Lightwood Yellow Box Yellow ■ ■ ■ Acacia implexa ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Callitris glaucophylla Eucalyptus melliodora Brachychiton populneus White Cypress-pine NL DF NL NL Trees & Large Shrubs Large & Trees Trees & Large Shrubs Large & Trees Buloke Grey Box Grey Quandong ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Callitris gracilis Murray Pine ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Santalum acuminatum Eucalyptus microcarpa Allocasuarina luehmannii

Woodlands Yorta Yorta Country Yorta Sand Ridge Ridge Sand

Sand Ridge Woodlands– Yorta Yorta Country Ceremonial Dye/ paint Shelter poison Fish Fire

Make tools Medicinal source Food Aboriginal use of ora and fauna - Colour guide and fauna - Colour use of ora Aboriginal

GS - Gaye Sutherland, SL - Sue Logie. JP - Jake Pollard, CT - Chris Tzaros, KH - Katie Howard, KH - Katie Howard, CT - Chris Tzaros, JP - Jake Pollard, DP - David Parker, RS - Rosie Smith, DW - D. Webb, RS - Rosie Smith, DW - D. Webb, DP - David Parker, JB - Jim Begley, DF - Doug Frood, AS - Alison Skinner, AS - Alison Skinner, DF - Doug Frood, JB - Jim Begley, NL - Natasha Lappin, CD - Cassie Douglas, Photographs donated by: Graphic design ©Colourfield Design This project is supported through funding from the Australian Government. funding from supported through is This project Published by MLLS © Copyright of content owned by MLLS, 2015. Published by MLLS © Copyright of content owned by MLLS, Front cover image by Alison Skinner. Front Lappin for compiling the content. and Environment for providing information on traditional plant uses and to Natasha information on traditional plant uses and to Natasha for providing and Environment Acknowledgments Pathways Bushland from Owners and Doug Frood Traditional Yorta Thank you to Yorta Threatened Species www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspecies/index.htm Threatened NSW Aboriginal Land Council www.alc.org.au Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation www.yynac.com.au Yorta Yorta www.gbcma.vic.gov.au Goulburn Catchment Management Authority Broken Murray Local Land Services www.murray.lls.gov.nsw.au For more information For more

scale. Where known, traditional uses are shown for each species. shown for uses are known, traditional scale. Where that common names can vary from region to region. Photos are not to not Photos are to region. region names can vary from that common common and scientific names have been provided, but please note but please been provided, scientific names have common and sandhill ecological communities across Yorta Yorta Country. Both Country. Yorta Yorta communities across sandhill ecological selection of flora, fauna and aboriginal cultural heritage sites found in sites found heritage aboriginal cultural fauna and of flora, selection This brochure has been prepared to aid in the identification of a the identification to aid in prepared has been This brochure Yorta Yorta Country Yorta Yorta Sand Ridge Woodlands Ridge Sand Grasses Groundcovers Groundcovers Sand Ridge Ecological Communities Common Fauna Caring for Sand Ridge Woodlands

Yorta Yorta Nation Sand Ridge Woodland, or Sand Hill Vegetation communities are an ecological community that can be identified through their unique Yorta Yorta Nation is comprised of peoples with undeniable characteristics of flora species. Other characteristics include their bloodlines to the Original Ancestors of the Land of Yorta Yorta position in the landscape (formed by winds over thousands of years Nation. These bloodlines link along old and existing waterway systems), their climate, water Yorta Yorta peoples’ past, availability and soil type. This guide illustrates the range of plants and present and future to one animals that can commonly be found within a sand hill community, another, with traditional laws, some of which are unique and have a strong association to sand hill customs, beliefs and areas. The dominant tree species can be Cypress Pine (Callitris sovereignty intact. Indicative glaucophylla or Calitris gracilis) or Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora) Bottlewashers Wheat Grass Pink Bindweed Bluebells Native Geranium Mat Rush species boundaries for Yorta Yorta Echidna Bush stone-curlew and the soils are predominantly sand or sandy loams. Sand hill areas Enneapogon avenaceus Anthosachne scabra Convolvulus species Wahlenbergia species Geranium solanderi Lomandra species people are shown on the map. Tachyglossus aculeatus Burchinus grallarius NL NL ■ ■ NL ■ NL ■ ■ NL ■ ■ ■ NL ■ NL ■ RS have been subject to extensive clearing and sand extraction practices over many years and most are in very poor condition. Indigenous Australians utilised these sites for burials, hunting Deniliquin grounds and refuge during flood events. Finley

Tocumwal

Yarrawonga Echuca

Shepparton Wangaratta Benalla Wallaby Grass Rough Spear Grass Climbing Saltbush Creeping Saltbush Mallee Bush Pea Common Everlasting Daisy Myrtleford Broad Shell Turtle Sand Goanna Rytidosperma sp. Austrostipa scabra Einadia nutans ssp. nutans Atriplex semibacatta Eutaxia microphylla Chrysocephalum apiculatum Chelodina expansa Varanus gouldii spp. gouldii Bendigo ■ CD NL ■ ■ NL ■ ■ NL NL ■ ■ SL ■ KH ■ DW

Aboriginal Cultural Significance of Sand Ridge Communities

Aboriginal cultural heritage and knowledge is a very important part To help ensure these valuable and diverse communities are of Australia’s history. Aboriginal cultural heritage consists of places maintained in the landscape they require planning and active and items that are of significance to Traditional Owner’s because of management. Strategic fencing to restrict vehicle access and their traditions, observances, lore, customs, beliefs and history. manage stock grazing and the control of pest plants and animals These places and items provide evidence of the lives and existence such as rabbits can help preserve sand hill structure and vegetation of Traditional Owner’s. cover. Revegetation such as tree planting and machine direct seeding Sandhill communities, with their diverse plant and animal life can also improve the biodiversity condition and long term Kangaroo Grass Windmill Grass Ruby Saltbush Corrugated sida Stinking pennywort Twining Glycine provided a range of resources for Traditional Owner’s, including Eastern Banjo Frog Rainbow Bee-eater conservation of these areas. As areas of significant cultural and Themeda australis Chloris truncata Enchylaena tomentosa Sida corrugata Hydrocotyle laxiflora Glycine clandestina Limnodynastes dumerilii Merops ornatus food, medicines, tools, material for shelters and items for ecological value it is important when working in or visiting these NL NL NL NL NL NL NL CT ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ceremonial use. These areas were often important burial sites. ■ ■ areas that we consider any potential impacts our activities may have.

Red Grass Curly Windmill Grass Tar Vine Native Flax-lily Yam Daisy Bulbine Lily Emu Eastern Grey Kangaroo Bothriochloa macra Enteropogon acicularis Boerhavia dominii Dianella species Microseris lanceolata Bulbine bulbosa Dromaius novaehollandiae Macropus giganteus NL NL ■ NL ■ ■ NL ■ CD ■ NL ■ CT ■ JP