Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape

www.heritage.gov.au Sacred to the people, the National Heritage Landscape is home to the remains of one of ’s earliest and largest systems. It was included in the National Heritage List on 20 July, 2004. Indigenous tradition • The story of the Gunditjmara people of Western is intimately related to the volcanic eruption of Mount Eccles around 30,000 years ago, when an ancestral creation-being revealed himself in the landscape. Budj Bim (meaning high head) is part of the ancestral creation-being’s body. Sophisticated aquaculture systems • The flow from Mount Eccles changed the drainage pattern in the area, creating large . • Beginning thousands of years ago, the Gunditjmara people developed this landscape through the construction of an ingenious system of channels, fishtraps and weirs which provided ideal conditions for growing and harvesting eels. • The Gunditjmara used the eels for their own needs and as currency when trading with neighbouring Aboriginal people. This provided an economic basis for the development of a settled society and the Gunditjmara built hundreds of circular stone huts, clustered into villages. Lake mission • Following European settlement in the area in the 1830s the Gunditjmara fought for their land for more than 20 years during the . As conflict drew to a close, some Aboriginal people were relocated to reserves, but many refused to move from their ancestral land. Eventually the Victorian government agreed to establish a mission at , close to some of the eel traps and within sight of Budj Bim. • The mission station was officially closed in 1919. The mission church was destroyed during the late 1950s. The Gunditjmara continued to live in the area and protect their heritage. • The mission lands were returned to the Gunditjmara in 1987. It was a unique example of the Commonwealth using its constitutional powers to provide benefits for a specific Aboriginal community. The Gunditjmara manage the Indigenous heritage values of the Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape through the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and the Winda Mara Aboriginal Corporation. Part of the area is the Mount Eccles National Park managed by Parks Victoria. The National Heritage List recognises and protects our most valued natural, Indigenous and historic heritage sites. It is a snapshot of the nation’s most important places. The List reflects the story of our development, from our original inhabitants to present day, Australia’s spirit and ingenuity, and our unique, living landscapes. Each place in the List has been assessed by the Australian Heritage Council as having outstanding heritage value to the nation, and is protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This means that approval must be obtained before taking any action that may have a significant impact on the national heritage values of the place. In this way, we can retain our heritage for future generations. To ensure ongoing protection, each listed place should have a management plan outlining how the heritage values of the site will be conserved and interpreted. The National Heritage List enables all Australians to celebrate, value and protect our unique heritage.

For further information visit www.heritage.gov.au