11 Absorbing Indigenous Melbourne Experiences: Learn About Aboriginal Australia

Australia’s indigenous history is mind-bogglingly lengthy. The traditional owners of this land stretch back some 40,000 to 60,000 years, making it the oldest continuous culture on Earth. It’s a rich culture filled with storytelling, respect for community and Country, and a deep spirituality, and it’s a part of this country more and more people are travelling to discover.

But you don’t have to travel deep into the Australian Outback to learn more about Indigenous Australian culture. There are actually plenty of opportunities right here in Melbourne – or Naarm, the Wurundjeri name for this city.

In this guide, I’m sharing some of my recommendations for things to do in Melbourne to immerse yourself in First Nations culture and deepen your understanding of our country’s First Peoples.

Aboriginal history in Melbourne

The land on which Melbourne sits has always been an important meeting place for the five language groups of the Kulin Nation. First Nations people once lived on this land, fishing and hunting and undertaking sacred ceremonies and celebrations.

Despite growing up in this country, I’m still learning more and more about Aboriginal culture and history every day. I don’t have the confidence to provide an accurate and complete history here. Instead, I’ll leave the information about Aboriginal history in Melbourne to the experts.

Some suggested resources to read up about our First Nations people, their culture and history, and the extraordinary struggles they have been put through since colonisation are:

• Welcome to Country – both the website and the book for an overview of history and culture as well as different tours you can experience throughout Australia
• Common Ground – an incredible online resource that shares so much about Aboriginal culture; it answers so many questions that I’ve never even thought to ask
• The AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia is a great way to find out the traditional owners across Australia. The website also has many other resources to explore, and AIATSIS publishes The Little Red Yellow Black Book 
• The Macquarie Atlas of Indigenous Australia is incredibly detailed
• The Biggest Estate On Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia by Bill Gammage, about the systematic way that Aboriginal people managed the land
• Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia, a collection of stories and memories by Aboriginal people about their experiences of life in Australia
• Read the true stories of two legendary Aboriginal men who spent a lot of time in Melbourne: actor Uncle Jack Charles and musician Archie Roach
• For fiction readers, some of my favourite Aboriginal authors are Tara June Winch, Melissa Lukashenko and Tony Birch

There are also many excellent movies and documentaries if you prefer to learn that way:

• In My Blood It Runs – an award-winning documentary that follows 10-year-old Arrernte boy Dujuan 
• Beneath Clouds – two young people struggle with their history
• Bran Nue Dae – a road-tripping musical comedy-drama that is a lot of fun to watch
• The Sapphires – loosely based on a true story about four young Yorta Yorta women who form a singing group and travel to Vietnam during the Vietnam War
• The Tracker – a tracker helps three white men locate an Aboriginal man accused of murdering a white woman
• Yolngu Boy – coming-of-age film about three Yolngu boys finding their way through a world where the modern and traditional ways are colliding 
• Mabo: Life of an Island Man – important documentary about Indigenous Australian land rights activist Eddie Mabo
• My Name is Gulpilil – a documentary about legendary Aboriginal actor David Gulpilil

And so, so many more!

What to do to discover Indigenous Melbourne culture and history

Here are my top picks of things to do in Melbourne to learn more about our country’s rich history.

1. Aboriginal Heritage Walk

In the heart of Melbourne lie the Royal Botanic Gardens. It’s a lovely place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

And it’s also where you can join a fantastic tour, the Aboriginal Heritage Walk. 

Starting with a smoke ceremony to welcome you to the land, over 90 minutes an Aboriginal guide shares the traditional uses of trees and plants in food, medicine and tools. While walking through the gardens, you’ll learn about Indigenous Australians’ strong connection to Country. The tour ends with an at-times frank discussion about Indigenous culture and issues over cups of freshly brewed lemon myrtle tea. 

I was lucky to have Den “the Fish”, a popular radio personality, lead the tour I took. As well as sharing his knowledge about the plants and trees we saw around the gardens, he was generous with his personal story of growing up Aboriginal in Australia.

His provocative questions about ownership of land – the Indigenous Australian concept of “ownership” versus the European notion – and respect for Mother Earth led our group into a deep discussion that left a lasting impact on me.

Check out more great Melbourne tours to learn about culture, history and food.

2. Aboriginal Tours and Education Melbourne

There are a handful of Aboriginal tours in Melbourne, and this one is one of the best. This is a trickier tour to get on to but worth it if you’re lucky enough to nab a spot. 

Wemba Wemba-Wergaia man Dean Stewart runs the incredible “Walkin Country, Walkin Birrarung – the Aboriginal Yarra River Tour” showcasing Indigenous history in Melbourne. The tours are usually for larger groups like schools, universities and corporates – but they’re not impossible to join.

So, if you’re travelling with a large group, you should definitely reach out to him and see what can be arranged. If it’s just one or two of you, still shoot him an email and see if you can join one of his scheduled private tours. I managed to sneak onto one of the tours he was running for RMIT University. 

Over two hours, our group was thoroughly entertained and educated by Dean’s deep, deep knowledge of Aboriginal Melbourne and the Indigenous Australians who called this area home before it became the city it is today. 

We saw what the land looked like before colonisation, learned how its inhabitants lived here and then learned how the city grew and Aboriginal people were displaced. It was an important reminder to stop every now and then and think about the history of the land you’re standing on.

Dean is dedicated to education and has been instrumental in developing the Aboriginal Heritage Walk at the Royal Botanic Gardens and programs at the Koorie Heritage Trust.

3. Try Indigenous cuisine

There’s been a recent surge in interest in using more native Australian ingredients in food. Don’t be surprised if you see kangaroo or finger limes or lemon myrtle popping up on the menus of many top restaurants in Melbourne.

But we also have a couple of restaurants in Melbourne that are specifically focused on celebrating indigenous ingredients.

Right in the hear of Federation Square is Big Esso, the delicious brainchild of Torres Strait Islander chef Nornie Bero. Big Esso is a slang term meaning “the biggest thank you” and you’ll be thanking yourself for dining here. Dive into dishes chargrilled emu with pepperberry, saltbush fried crocodile and pumpkin damper. Over in Yarraville in the city’s west you’ll also find Mabu Mabu, Nornie’s first restaurant.

4. Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

NGV International’s sister gallery is focused entirely on Australian art and artists. 

Located in Fed Square, there are several artworks in the Ian Potter Centre by prominent Indigenous Australian artists in the permanent galleries, including Albert Namatjira and William Barak.

There are also regular temporary exhibitions. When I last visited, I saw the striking portraits and pieces of Yorta Yorta/Wamba Wamba/Mutti Mutti/Boonwurrung artist Maree Clarke’s Ancestral Memories exhibition. The thought-provoking Big Weather moved me, featuring pieces that recognise the deep Indigenous knowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have of weather systems.

Bonus: The Ian Potter Centre is free to visit. Looking for more free things to do in Melbourne?

5. Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre

The Melbourne Museum is worth a visit to understand the history of Melbourne as well as see dinosaurs, creepy crawlies and a living forest.

But there’s also a huge section of the museum dedicated to the history and culture of our First Nations people. 

The Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre is on the museum’s ground floor, and takes visitors on a journey from ancient times to modern day. Here, you’ll learn about the Dreamtime stories, how different tools were used, the importance of possum skin cloaks, and the struggles Indigenous people have faced from colonisation to today.

Don’t forget to end your visit with a wander through the Milarri Garden Trail, where you can learn about Australian plants, trees and flowers and their traditional uses as food and medicines in Aboriginal culture.

There are also many more exhibits to explore once you’ve spent time learning about our country’s history. The Melbourne Museum is a great rainy day activity in Melbourne.

6. Koorie Heritage Trust

The Koorie Heritage Trust is an organisation working toward bridging the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people and raising awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Located right in Federation Square, the Trust’s building houses an art gallery, an oral history program and reference library, and a shop that sells Koorie-made art pieces and goods. 

You can visit the Koorie Heritage Trust and have a look around, but I recommend joining one of their regular guided walking tours. These tours take visitors from Federation Square down to Birrarung Marr alongside the Yarra River. Birrarung loosely translates to “river of mists and shadows”, and it’s the real name of what we today call the Yarra River, the river that flows through Melbourne.

I joined the Birrarung Wilam (River Camp) Walk, a Melbourne walking tour that explains the significance of this area.

This tour had so many unexpected surprises. Our guide Kieran pointed out several things that I’ve walked past before but either never noticed or never understood their significance to Indigenous Australians, including several Aboriginal art pieces.

Kieran was also incredibly open, encouraging people to ask questions about Indigenous Australian culture, even “taboo” topics. He explained that these discussions are important if people are to truly understand one another.

The tour ends back at the Koorie Heritage Trust with a demonstration of several weapons, tools and other artefacts.

The Koorie Heritage Trust runs a handful of different tours, but the Birrarung Wilam Walk is the only tour open to the general public. It’s well worth doing this to get an understanding of Aboriginal Melbourne.

7. Discover art along Birrarung Marr

Birrarung Marr is a great place to go if you need to take a break. This area alongside the Yarra River is a peaceful spot to sit and contemplate the river, let the kids expend some energy at the playground or attend one of the seasonal festivals that take place here.

It’s also home to several artworks that celebrate the physical and spiritual connections that Aboriginal people have with the land and Country. Wander along the eel pathway, see the shields representing the five groups of the Kulin Nation, carved message sticks and many more pieces. There’s not a lot of information on site about the pieces, so this website page has helpful background.

I highly recommend the Koorie Heritage Trust Birrarung Wilam Walk mentioned earlier so that you get explanations of the art in the area. But if the tours don’t line up with your visit to Melbourne, then you can wander the area yourself.

8. Take a self-guided walking tour

The City of Melbourne has designed this self-guided walking tour, which links 14 significant Indigenous Melbourne sites. From monuments, scarred trees and historical meeting places, you can explore Aboriginal Melbourne at your own pace.

Take your time wandering past Parliament House to see the paving inlay designed from an 1880 painting by Aboriginal leader William Barak, before strolling through the Fitzroy Gardens to see one of the trees used a long, long time ago to create canoes, shelters and shields.

Along Birrarung Marr, explore the remarkable artworks. In the Docklands, wander over Webb Bridge, the design of which is inspired by an Aboriginal eel trap.

This walking tour should take you around 2 to 2 ½ hours to complete at a nice pace.

9. Alcaston Gallery

One of Melbourne’s top commercial galleries, Alcaston Gallery is known for its exhibits celebrating Indigenous Australian artists.

At any time of the year, you can see stunning paintings, weavings and carvings from renowned and up-and-coming Aboriginal artists.

Alcaston Gallery Executive Director Beverly Knight has been a key player in paving the way for fair trade for Indigenous artists.

10. Bangarra Dance Theatre

While not Melbourne based, if you’re lucky you might be able to catch a stunning performance by Bangarra when you visit Melbourne.

This Sydney dance company was established in 1989. It has been wowing audiences in Australia and around the world with their exquisite storytelling and dance performances. The costumes, music and set design combine with the movement of the dancers to create a spectacular show.

You can check out upcoming performances on the Bangarra website.

11. Indigenous Melbourne festivals and events

Check out What’s On to find out if there are any Indigenous Melbourne festivals during your visit.

Some festivals to keep an eye out for include:

• Tanderrum
• Yirramboi
• Reconciliation Week activities
• NAIDOC Week celebrations

Outside of Melbourne

If you’ve got time to get outside of Melbourne, there are more opportunities to experience Indigenous culture in Victoria.

• Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre – located in Geelong, just a 1.5-drive from Melbourne, the centre has an art gallery, café, cultural education programs and the chance to feed wallabies Website
• Brambuk: The National Park and Cultural Centre – the gateway to Gariwerd (the Grampians National Park) in Victoria’s west, this centre should be your first stop on a visit to the park Website
• Native Plant Talks at Cape Otway Lighthouse – one of the best things to do on the Great Ocean Road, Australia’s oldest surviving lighthouse hosts daily native plant talks Website
• Worn Gundidj at Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve – join one of the interactive tours to learn about the use of native plants for food and medicines, throw a boomerang, or take a twilight nature walk over a dormant volcano Website

Final thoughts on Indigenous Melbourne experiences

Melbourne is full of rich Indigenous culture and history. Learning more will enhance any visit to the city, and experiencing any of the activities in this article will help give you an insight into our history.

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Featured image courtesy of Visit Victoria