As Victorians we all live on an ancient land that is home to the oldest continuing cultures in the world. First Peoples’ cultures, knowledge and traditions continue to grow and thrive today.
Learn about the Aboriginal cultural heritage in your area and the places you travel to for a deeper connection and understanding of our shared history.
Aboriginal cultural heritage is a significant part of Victoria’s history, identity and future. Aboriginal knowledge shapes our shared traditions, from our music, art and stories to modern land management practices. One of our country’s favourite sports, Australian Rules Football, is based on Marngrook, an Aboriginal game from western Victoria.
Victoria is rich in Aboriginal cultural heritage. There are over 40,000 places and objects currently recorded on the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register. These include internationally valued examples such as the Budj Bim cultural landscape. The United Nations declared this a World Heritage site in 2019.
The cultural heritage sites in Victoria are unique. They include the only known cave painting of Bunjil, the main Dreaming Being of south-eastern Australia. Bunjil produced many of the natural features of the landscape and provides the lore, customs and rites that organise Aboriginal society.
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