An Engineered Volcanic Landscape
The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape contains one of the world's oldest and most extensive aquaculture systems, with radiocarbon dating confirming its use for at least 6,600 years. This predates both Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza. The system is built upon the Tyrendarra lava flow, the result of an eruption of the Budj Bim volcano tens of thousands of years ago. This geological event reshaped the region's drainage patterns, creating a network of wetlands, sinkholes, and creeks.
The Gunditjmara people used the abundant basalt rocks from this flow to construct a network of weirs, dams, and channels, some extending for hundreds of meters. These structures were not imposed upon the environment; instead, they were integrated with its natural hydrology. The engineering manipulated water levels across nearly 100 square kilometers, directing water and the life within it. The primary purpose was the systematic trapping, storing, and harvesting of the short-finned eel, known to the Gunditjmara as kooyang (Anguilla australis).
A Sustainable Society
This highly productive aquaculture system provided a reliable, year-round food source that allowed the Gunditjmara people to establish permanent settlements. This contrasts with the nomadic lifestyle often presumed for many Aboriginal groups. Archaeological surveys have identified the remains of over 200 circular stone-walled houses in the area.
During the seasonal migration of eels, the Gunditjmara placed long, woven baskets into openings in the stone weirs to make their catch. The system also included holding ponds where eels could be kept alive to be harvested later. The surplus of eels was often preserved by smoking them in the hollows of large River Red Gum trees, which enabled both long-term storage and trade with other Aboriginal nations. This sophisticated system supported a large, settled community with a social and economic foundation for millennia. In recognition of its cultural and historical value, the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2019, the first site in Australia listed exclusively for its Aboriginal cultural significance.