Sacred Mountains Return to Yuin People After 20 Years

Hundreds of people gathered at the base of Gulaga mountain in New South Wales this week, celebrating 20 years since sacred land was returned to its traditional owners.

The Biamanga and Gulaga National Parks, nestled between Bega and Narooma on Australia's south coast, were handed back to the Yuin people in May 2006. For the Indigenous community, these aren't just parks. They're sacred spaces that hold the spirit of their ancestors.

Gulaga is known as Mother Mountain, where Aboriginal women would gather for storytelling, ceremony, and childbirth. Biamanga is a traditional men's place, containing initiation sites where boys would become men. Both mountains had been taken from the Yuin people, but elders never stopped fighting to bring them home.

Walbunja woman Aunty Roslyn Field addressed the festival crowd with words that captured the moment's significance. "This is not just an anniversary. It's a living reminder of who we are, where we come from, and the strength of our ancestors," she said.

The handback happened thanks to relentless advocacy by elders including Guboo Ted Thomas and Percy Mumbulla. They led a major land rights campaign that finally succeeded two decades ago, creating one of only seven such handbacks in New South Wales.

Today, the Gulaga and Biamanga Boards of Management work alongside NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to care for the land. It's a partnership that's thrived for 20 years, blending traditional knowledge with modern conservation.

Why This Inspires

Uncle Bunja Smith, chair of the Biamanga Board of Management, remembers watching those elders fight when he was young. Now he's passing that legacy to the next generation. "I was their age, watching those fellas fight for the mountains," he said. "Now it's my turn to pass that on, to make sure that in another 20 years, they're having another celebration, much like this one."

The festival featured a smoking ceremony and performances by the Djinama Yilaga Choir. Young Yuin people learned the stories of their ancestors' persistence and the responsibility they now carry forward.

Bob Debus, the NSW environment minister who oversaw the handback in 2006, attended the celebration. "There was a feeling of elation that we had managed to bring this concept to reality," he recalled. "For lots of white people, there was a tremendous feeling of relief that we could do something good for First Nations people, not bad."

The anniversary coincided with National Reconciliation Week, making the timing even more meaningful. Aunty Ros reminded the crowd that the handback was never about just one generation. "It was always about those who would come after us," she said. "It's our responsibility to ensure they know the stories, walk the tracks, feel the spirit of the place and understand what it means to belong."

Twenty years later, the sacred mountains are home again, and the next generation is ready to protect them for twenty more.