9 incredible places to learn about Aboriginal history and culture in Australia

Australia: the land of sun, sea and glorious beaches. Not to mention the kangaroos and koalas, thriving coral reefs, and the legendary Sydney Harbour Bridge. With so many iconic sights to experience in one destination, it’s no wonder travellers struggle to see it all.

The island nation covers an incredible 2.9 million square-miles, the equivalent of 31 United Kingdoms – and while most people fly into hubs such as Sydney and Melbourne, few stray away from the white-sand beaches and vibrant city life to delve beneath the surface of what is actually a culturally complex country.

Those that do, however, find a wholly different Australia. This is a place where scorching deserts slowly transform into tropical rainforests, where lush vineyards grow next to arid farmland. A short distance from the major cities, are sprawling farming communities and mining towns. Fishing villages decorate the wild coastlines, and Aboriginal settlements dot the inland landscapes. This Australia is rarely publicised in glossy posters, but it is arguably the most real.

Farming communities, mining towns, fishing villages and Aboriginal settlements dot the inland landscapes of Australia (Karen Edwards)

For thousands of years, Aboriginal people – defined as ‘those who inhabited from the earliest times or before the arrival of colonists’ – have lived closely with nature, sustaining communities by living off the land. Native vegetation and animals were known as bush tucker, while other plant species were used for medicine. In those early times, animal skin was used as protective clothing with branches and rocks adapted into survival tools.

The arrival of James Cook in 1770 led to the first European settlers on Australia’s east coast, and sparked the Frontier Wars in which many Aboriginal and European people died. Sadly, Australia’s Indigenous population suffered massacres, kidnap, banishment and the introduction of disease. Many of those that survived were put to work in fields while their land was cleared to make way for sheep farms and settlements.

Away from the white-sand beaches lies a culturally rich island nation with a complex history and important stories to share (Karen Edwards)

Today, Australia is a diverse and multicultural country that still struggles to know how to handle its colonial history. However, tourism is changing things for the better. Tourism Australia’s Discover Aboriginal Experiences, for example, helps to empower local communities to launch businesses, lead tours and engage with visitors – sharing stories and encouraging acknowledgement of what has gone before.

Together with a vast range of culturally rich regions across the country, there is a wealth of history, extraordinary storytelling and wonderful nature-based experiences to be shared by the nation’s Aboriginal community. Here are just eight that we thoroughly recommend…

Davidson’s Arnhem Land Safaris introduces small groups to the vast flood plains and ancient rock drawings of the Mount Borradaile (Karen Edwards)

Rock art is a regular sight here at Mount Borradaile; a beautiful and remote expanse of land on the flood plains of western Arnhem Land, a little-known region of Australia’s Northern Territory. The area, ‘Awunbarna’ to the local Gunbalanya people, is a part of the largest indigenous reserve in Australia. In one sandstone cavern, five metres above the ground, a six-metre long painting spanning the roof of a large overhang. Red haematite outlines two eyes, a tongue and hundreds of scales. White, chalky ochre solidifies the body giving the feeling of strength and fierceness. The Rainbow Serpent, a powerful and immortal creature known as a creator of life and protector of land and people is one of most important figures in aboriginal culture. This particular painting is potentially 2,000 years old, if not more. In addition, hand stencils are painted alongside depictions of life-size women, fish and ochre-filled, more recent drawings of guns and sailing ships.

To visit Mount Borradaile, guests must book in at Davidsons Arnhemland Safaris – a luxury camp and tour operation that acts as a gateway to the area. While the founder, Max Davidson, sadly passed away in 2017, his daughters Diana and Lee now run the camp, working with Max’s friend and local traditional owner, Charlie Mangulda, to showcase the14 major art locations and several burial sites of the region. Alongside learning about Aboriginal history, travellers can experience the extraordinary flood plain ecosystem, which is home to kingfishers, barramundi, crocodiles and white-belled sea eagles. The guides are a dab hand at spotting the wildlife, too.

The annual Quinkan Dance Festival in June, while the Quinkan rock art galleries are some of Queensland’s most treasured cultural sites (Shutterstock)

Overlooking the Laura River, the Quinkan Galleries – Split Rock, Mushroom Rock and the Giant Horse Gallery – are some of Queensland’s most treasured sites. Thought to be at least 15,000 to 30,000 years old, the ancient Quinkan paintings tell the unique story of aboriginal life in a tropical climate, depicting the native fauna and food sources such as wallabies, fish and pythons. The galleries have been included on the Australian Heritage Estate and are listed by UNESCO as being among the top 10 rock art sites in the world. Those visiting in June may experience the annual Quinkan Dance Festival.

Red Hands can be found within the Glenbrook area of Blue Mountains National Park (Alamy)

Layers upon layers of mesmerising red, yellow and white handprints line the walls at one of New South Wales’ most elaborate Indigenous rock art sites. Aboriginal people would chew a mixture of ochre and water to form the paint, before blowing it over a hand resting on the wall. Located in the Blue Mountains National Park, this art is estimated to be 500 and 1,600 years old – and takes the form of Decorative Infill, with earthy yellow and white ochre.

The Mimbi Caves are 100% Indigenous owned, ensuring tours taken with Girloorloo will benefit the local Gooniyandi community.

The ancient limestone labyrinth of the Mimbi Caves is thought to have formed over 350 million years ago and harbours some of the most well-preserved fish fossils in the world. Alongside these signs of past life, is an extensive collection of Aboriginal rock art. Tours into the caves are led by the Gooniyandi people, who share Dreamtime stories by torchlight as they unveil the stalagmites and glistening calcite crystals. The caves are 100% Indigenous owned, ensuring tours taken with Girloorloo will benefit the local Aboriginal communities. Mimbi can be found 90 minutes south-east of the famous Fitzroy Crossing.

The Manja Cave of Hands, estimated to date back 22,000 years, can be found on the Gulgurn Manja Shelter Walk in the Northern Grampians (Shutterstock)

According to Aboriginal creation stories, Bunjil is a legendary creator who made the land, water, flora and fauna. As the story goes, once Bunjil had finished his work, he transformed into an eagle and flew into the sky where he lives today. The shelter, located in Black Range Scenic Reserve, holds a rock painting estimated to be over 1,000 years old – depicting Bunjil and his two helpers. For this reason, the cave is deemed as one of the most culturally significant sites in the country. The Manja (pronounced ‘Man-ya’) Cave of Hands, meanwhile, is one of Victoria’s best examples of rock hand stencils, thought to date back 22,000 years. Still clear to see with the naked eye, there are a total of 90 stencils registered within two Grampian caves, with stories suggesting that hand stencils were used to record a visit to a site.

Arkaroo Rock, Wilpena Pound and Sacred Canyon shed light on the beliefs of the local Adnyamathanha people, who inhabited the Flinders Rangers region (Karen Edwards)

The age of the ringed engravings at Sacred Canyon in Flinders Ranges is unknown, but the local Adnyamathanha people believe ancestral spirits produced them during the creation or ‘dreamtime’ period. Nearby, Arkaroo Rock displays ochre-filled images of bird tracks, while the rugged walls of Wilpena Pound – a massive sedimentary syncline or geological fold – is said to represent the bodies of two entwined serpents.

The Kimberley is home to two types of ancient art the Gwion Gwion, up to 50,000 years old, and Wandjina, up to 4,000 years old (Shutterstock)

Located in the remote northwest of Australia, the Kimberley region was one of the earliest settled places on the continent. Here, two types of ancient art are found – the Gwion Gwion (also known as Bradshaw Art) ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 years old and Wandjina, which can be up to 4,000 years old. Accessibility to the art depends on your method of transport and pre-arranged visits tend to be greeted with a Welcome To Country ceremony by local Aboriginal elders. While some sites can be reached by 4×4 self-drive from the Gibb River Road, others must be explored by boat.

Shine On Gimuy will include traditional storytelling and art installations such as Blaktivation, Shields and Swords and Fever of Stingrays (Tropical North Queensland)

The canyons of Kata Tjuta National Park are as cherished by the local Anangu people as the iconic Uluru rock (Shutterstock)

Until recently, tourists were able to climb the iconic Uluru rock. In 2019, however, the local Anangu people finally won their battle to close footfall onto the rock, after many years of pleading with the Northern Territory government. The 348 metre high sandstone formation is sacred to the Anangu because of its significance to the creation or ‘dreamtime’ era, and has housed important rock paintings, springs and waterholes for thousands of years. Today Uluru remains a busy tourist hotspot, and visitors to the region are encouraged to spend time exploring the equally cherished Kata Tjuta formations nearby.