Aboriginal Culture
See southern Australia’s best Aboriginal rock art
The Grampians mountains were known as Gariwerd to the Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali people that inhabited the mountains and surrounding plains for the last 22,000 years.
Their dreamtime tells the story of Bunjil, the spirit creator who made the world we see, and all of the plants and the animals found today.
Aboriginal Art is prolific across the Grampians, with over 200 recorded art shelters. This is the richest array of Aboriginal art in southern Australia.
You can experience this ancient culture by visiting one of five art shelters open to the public in the area.
Eastern Grampians
Bunjils
Bunjils Shelter near Stawell is the closest art shelter to access from Halls Gap and the Eastern Grampians.
This painting depicts Bunjil, the spirit creator and his two dingo helpers.
Distance: 100m
Northern Grampians
Gulgurn Manja
Meaning hands of young people, this shelter with a northerly aspect gives great views over the Wimmera plains. Rather than the traditional hand stencil, this shelter has hand prints.
Other motifs here include emu tracks and vertical strokes, the meaning of which is unknown.
Ngamadjidj
Ngamadjidj means white person, however, the meaning of the paintings has been lost due to the effects of the European settlement.
Distance: 100m circuit
Wheelchair accessible: Yes, this is the only shelter accessible to wheelchairs.
Western Grampians
Billimina
At the base of the Western side of the Victoria Range, Billimina has the biggest display of Aboriginal art in the Grampians.
The motifs are primarily made up of vertical strokes, like Gulgurn Manja Shelter, the meaning of which is unknown. There are also some human shaped figures known as “Lizard men”.
This shelter can be accessed from the Buandik Picnic Area.
Manja
Also found on the western side of the Victoria Range, Manja has deep rich ochre coloured hand stencils on beautiful yellow Grampians sandstone.