Aboriginal experiences

Authentic Aboriginal experiences thousands of years in the making

The Central Coast is home to one of the largest growing Aboriginal communities in Australia

Before the hinterland, valleys and beaches were known as the Central Coast, this was the home of the Darkinjung, Gurungai and Awabakal people, who lived, hunted, farmed and thrived on country for thousands of years.

We've over 3,500 registered Aboriginal sites of significance and cultural importance throughout the NSW Central Coast. From sandstone markings carved by Elders, to breathtaking ochre hand stencils on cave walls left by generations of family groups, there are plenty of ways to interact, understand and pay your respects to the Traditional Owners of this Country, representing the world’s longest living culture. Learn to weave with local artists, follow thousand-year-old wilderness trails and Songlines, buy authentic Aboriginal art and tour with an Aboriginal Identified guide. It’s easy to connect with Aboriginal culture on the Central Coast.

_{Image: Bulgandry Art Site Aboriginal Place}_{by James Horan x Destination Central Coast}

Embrace the world's oldest surviving culture...

Welcome to Country

Uncle Gavi, a Gomilaroi, Mandandanji and Awaba man from the Central Coast, offers you a warm welcome to enjoy the Country we're on, stretching from the Dyarubbin to the Awaba, from Mount Yengo to the sea. The Aboriginal peoples living with these lands and waterways moved with the seasons, leaving paths forged over thousands of years on a great migratory route that encased the coast, hinterland, lakes and rivers.

Explore Aboriginal culture on the Central Coast

Local ways to respectfully engage with the world’s longest living culture

Firescreek Aboriginal Storytelling & Wine Tasting Experience

Tucked away in Holgate on the Central Coast, on an intimate botanical fruit vineyard, immerse yourself in a deep cultural experience of Aboriginal storytelling led by an Aboriginal Elder.

Image: Uncle Gavi, a Gomilaroi, Mandandanji and Awaba man; by Nathan Lowe Photography

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Guide to the Central Coast’s Aboriginal experiences

Let's help you connect to the Country you're on. From intimate tours walking in the footsteps of Ancestor Spirits, to a community-wide festival in winter solstice, the NSW Central Coast has some incredible Aboriginal-led tours, events and immersive experiences.

EXPLORE EXPERIENCES

Image: Girri Girra Aboriginal Experiences, 100% Aboriginal-owned business on the Central Coast

aboriginal identified ranger guide showing visitor the story of hand paintings in caves

Image: Calga Aboriginal Cultural Landscape with Aboriginal Identified Ranger
Credit: James Horan x Destination Central Coast

How to visit local Aboriginal Sites respectfully

The Central Coast is home to over 2,985 registered Aboriginal Sites of significance and cultural importance, from sandstone markings carved by Elders long ago, to ochre hand stencils on cave walls left by generations of family groups. With these places essentially outdoor museums featuring the world’s oldest continuous living culture - here's the essentials on how to visit them in the most respectful way.

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Meet our locals with a passion for sharing their culture

Bulgandry Art Site Aboriginal Place

For millennia, NSW’s Aboriginal communities told their stories with drawings, paintings & petroglyphs. One of the greatest preserved examples is on the Central Coast, depicting Creator Spirit, 'Baiyami', and much more in Brisbane Water National Park.

Image: NPWS x Destination Central Coast

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Aboriginal parent with child metal sculpture located along the old great north road route

Credit: James Horan x Destination Central Coast

The Central Coast's UNESCO World Heritage listed route

Step back in time on the Old Great North Road in Dharug National Park, right by the Hawkesbury River. With this historic nature-based attraction tucked within the impressive Central Coast Hinterland west of the M1, the Old Great North Road is a brilliant adventure for travellers seeking a bushwalk with a story. It's also ideal for families with many interactive signs along the route telling both the Aboriginal and European settlement heritage of the place.

A powerful connection

While powerful places on Country demonstrate local Aboriginal peoples' strong ties to the past, if you travel throughout the Central Coast you’ll also see the modern influence of a young and emerging Aboriginal community too. The murals of artist and Guringai man Grant Molony, are synonymous with the Central Coast’s public spaces, while the Coast is also the home of NAISDA Dance College, Australia’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performance centre, training the next generation of Indigenous talent.

Aboriginal dancers from NAISDA Dance College, Kariong
Credit: National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Association

Indigenous music, dance and drama on the NSW Central Coast

From youth theatre companies to prestigious cultural dance schools and festivals attracting thousands, the Central Coast has an incredible pool of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Identified talent forging their own path on the burgeoning local Arts scene-and beyond. Discover where to watch their live performances and hear their latest musical compositions.

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Indigenous female artists

A number of talented female artists call the Central Coast home. Using a combination of traditional and modern styles, they're sharing visual stories to connect you with Country and Lore through their art.

Image: Artwork by Judith Franklin, a Darkinjung woman from the Central Coast

MEET LOCAL ARTISTS

Discover Darkinjung Ngura

Watch this series of short films produced by Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, taking you on a journey between sacred sites across the Central Coast and beyond to Mount Yengo.