The Tyrendarra Indigenous Protected Area is owned and managed by the Gunditjmara people, to preserve the many important sites, objects and stories it contains.
This mobile app provides a glimpse at the quiet charms of this place. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you may be able to connect to the cultural history of this place. From the carpark, cross Killara (Darlots Creek), where eels make their annual migration to the ocean.
Listen to the stories of the Gunditjmara people as they speak of their connection to country. Look for re-creations of traditional eel traps and stone houses near the start of the track. Venture to the wetland where you may be lucky enough to see our resident Brolgas. Be sure to drop in to the Gilgar Gunditj centre to learn more about this fascinating area.
From the mid 1830’s the Gunditjmara clans were under constant pressure from land hungry European settlers, their guns, and their livestock. The best land and the most reliable water in this district were taken by force. Fighting with weapons that were no match for the long rifles of the invader the Gunditjmara clans fell back on the Stony Rises such as the Tyrendarra lava flow.
They used the rough and rocky ground as a refuge from which to launch a ten-year guerrilla campaign aimed at crippling the economic base of the new arrivals, harassing flocks and isolated settlements in what was known as the Eumeralla War. Many battles were fought and lives lost in this district.
The Gunditjmara are proud of their historical resistance and retain Native Title over this land. Please respect their land. The Tyrendarra Indigenous Protected Area was declared part of the Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape in 2004.