About Us
Gunditjmara Country
The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is located within Gunditjmara Country in south-eastern Australia, and comprises of three components; Budj Bim - Northern Component, Kurtonitj - Central Component and Tyrendarra Southern Component. Each component contains extensive evidence of the Gunditjmara’s aquaculture system. The Gunditjmara have customary rights and obligations to their traditional Country and a continuing and evolving relationship with the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape.
Gunditjmara Country covers an estimated area of 7,000 square km and occupies the south-western corner of Victoria. It extends over an area east of the Glenelg River, west of the Hopkins River and south of the Wannon River - approximately 150 km from east to west and up to 100 km inland from the coast.
In addition to these major rivers, Gunditjmara Country includes volcanic plains, a dramatic coastline and adjacent seas, limestone caves, a range of forest types and extensive wetland environments.
Northern Component
Budj Bim - A Gunditjmara name, meaning 'high head'
Central Component
Kurtonitj - A Gunditjmara name meaning 'a crossing place'.
Southern Component
Tyrendarra - A Gunditjmara word meaning 'where the rivers meet'.
The three serial components of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape contain one of the world’s most extensive and oldest aquaculture systems.
Our Cultural Sites
Settlements, cultural places, locations linked to the harvesting of the landscape and to historical events.
Budj Bim National Park
Featuring the now dormant Budj Bim volcano, and Lake Surprise. Budj Bim is a Gunditjmara name, meaning 'high head'.
Kurtonitj
A Gunditjmara cultural site with stone eel traps, stone channels, stone house sites and eel smoking trees.
Image: Justin McManus
Tyrendarra
1,700 hectares of significant wetlands and stony rises right next to the historic lava flows of Budj Bim volcano.