Aboriginal Heritage
The Blue Mountains region of NSW holds deep Aboriginal heritage and is one of Australia’s most culturally rich landscapes. Gundungurra and Darug peoples are recognized as its main traditional custodians, with connection to Country reaching back at least 22,000 years. Traditional Owners and Tribes The Greater Blue Mountains area is home primarily to the Gundungurra and Darug peoples, along with cultural connections to neighboring groups such as Wiradjuri, Darkinjung, Dharawal, Wanaruah, and Burra Burra. These communities have maintained complex networks across the rugged terrain, using established paths for seasonal movement, trade, ceremony, storytelling, and gathering. Evidence and Cultural Sites Archaeological discoveries reveal that the region has been continuously inhabited for tens of thousands of years. Sites such as Dargan Shelter and Kings Tableland have provided artifacts and evidence of occupation dating back 22,000 years, including stone tools, grinding grooves, rock art, and stencils by children. The Gully in Katoomba was a crucial meeting place for Aboriginal peoples until the mid-20th century, now reclaimed and protected for cultural significance. Blue Mountains National Park protects numerous Aboriginal sites, including rock shelters and engravings, axe grinding grooves, and cave paintings. Sacred places such as the Three Sisters are central to Aboriginal mythology and now formally recognized under NSW law as Aboriginal Places. Living Culture and Language Place names throughout the region—Katoomba, Megalong, Kanangra—bear Aboriginal origins, reflecting both historical and contemporary cultural presence. Everyday words like waratah, koala, and billabong are drawn from local languages. Language, art, and ceremony continue to be shared through initiatives like art galleries (e.g., Kew-Y-Ahn at Hartley), guided site tours, and community events. Disruption and Continuing Connection Colonization led to significant disruption for Aboriginal communities, including forced displacement and missions such as St Joseph’s Aboriginal Settlement in Burragorang Valley. Despite these challenges, Aboriginal people have persistently maintained connection to ancestral lands, identity, and cultural practice, and continue to lead in rehabilitating and interpreting local heritage sites. Aboriginal heritage in the Blue Mountains is not just historical; it lives on in place, language, art, and community leadership, with active work to reclaim, interpret, and share culture authentically for future generations. Blue Mountains Aboriginal Culture & Resource Centre (BMACRC) https://www.bmacrc.org.au/
