For over 60,000 years, the Aboriginal people have lived in Australia. With such a long existence, the Aboriginal culture in Australia has been described as the ‘world’s oldest living culture’. Undoubtedly, the Aboriginal culture forms an important part of the history of the country. 

Photo by: warmunaboriginalculturalcentre 

Here are four places where you can learn more about the First Nations Australians;

1. Arnhem Land, Northern Territory

Known as the heartland of Aboriginal culture, there is a population of around 16,000 people in Arnhem Land. 12,000 consists of the local Aboriginal Yolngu people. In the rugged and wild terrain, the local Yolngu people have maintained their culture and traditions.

Join cultural tours where you can explore sacred Aboriginal areas and learn about the traditional land, bush skills, hunting, bush tucker preparation, and food gathering. See the best of Aboriginal rock art or go on a safari where you can explore the history and beautiful landscape. For a truly culturally immersive experience, the four-day Garma Festival celebration of Yolngu culture in August is not to be missed.

Photo by: maurice_mathey

2. Mungo National Park, New South Wales

Mungo National Park was one of the first places listed as Australia’s first World Heritage sites in addition to the Great Barrier Reef and Kakadu National Park. Located in South-Western NSW, Mungo National Park is both archaeologically and spiritually significant. Remains discovered in Mungo National Park are some of the oldest found outside of Africa, dating more than 40,000 years.

The best way to explore the World Heritage Listed site is through Mungo Aboriginal Discovery Tours. Led by rangers from the three local indigenous groups - the Paakantji, Ngyiaampaa, and Mutthi Mutthi, they are the caretakers of the land. You can learn about the Aboriginal Culture, Dreaming Stories, discover the famous Walls of China, and over 45,000 years of the Aboriginal history of the Willandra Lakes Regional World Heritage area.

Photo by: blueythevan  

3. Budj Bim, Victoria 

Budj Bim is the first Australian site to achieve World Heritage (in 2019) based solely on its Aboriginal cultural significance. Located southwest of Melbourne, the traditional country of the Gunditjmara people has an important cultural landscape. A volcano known as Mount Eccles erupted over 37,000 years ago. The story that has been passed down over generations is that it was Budj Bim, the Ancestral creator revealing himself.

Aboriginal Cultural Tours led by Gunditjmara guides provide insights about the aquaculture system and how it was an important source of food such as fish and eels. Guides explain the indigenous culture and history of the area including the Gunditjmara creation story.

Photo by: budjbimtourism

4. Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Located in the Flinders Ranges on Adnyamathanha Country outside of Adelaide is Wilpena Pound. The area known to the Traditional Owners as Ikara means ‘the meeting place’. Wilpena is renowned for its geological history, ancient fossils, and Aboriginal rock art.

Wilpena Pound contains a breathtaking crater-like formation spanning 17km long and 8km wide and an area of 100km. Featuring one of the oldest Aboriginal rock engravings in the world, carvings of people, animal tracks, and waterholes are sketched on the stone walls of Sacred Canyon. In 2020, in order to protect and preserve the ancient rock etchings, access to Sacred Canyon is limited to guided tours led by the Adnyamathanha people, the Traditional Owners of the land.

Photo by: henrywhitmore21 

Acknowledgment of Country

We respect and honor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present, and future.

We acknowledge the stories, traditions, and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together.

Photo by: echoculturaltours