Dyurrite
Cultural Landscape
“There’s a spiritual connection to Dyurrite. Our Ancestors have been involved in this place for tens of thousands of years.”
—Michael Douglas
Wotjobaluk Nations
Dyurrite
A Living Cultural Landscape
Dyurrite (Mount Arapiles) is a place of deep cultural, spiritual and historical significance for the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Peoples. This landscape holds tens of thousands of years of stories, knowledge, ceremony, food practices, tools and cultural law.
For our Peoples, Dyurrite is a living cultural landscape. It is Ancestors, it is Lore, it is memory, and it continues to hold meaning and responsibility today.
“This place is incredibly important to us. Our Ancestors faced immense pressure from missionaries to forget about it, but they remained resilient. We will do the same.”
—Stuart Harradine
Wotjobaluk Nations
Long-Held Custodianship
Archaeological surveys at Dyurrite have recorded Aboriginal cultural sites dating back at least 13,000 years, revealing a long and continuous cultural presence. These findings only represent part of a much deeper story, one that has been carried through cultural memory, practice and oral tradition for thousands of generations.
Dyurrite’s caves, rock shelters and surrounding landscapes were places of living: for shelter, ceremony, tool-making, teaching and cultural exchange. The mountain sits within a broader network of significant cultural sites across Wotjobaluk Nations Country, connected by songlines, travel routes and shared responsibility.
“Dyurrite is very significant and provides a long connection for the Wotjobaluk Nations through physical, tangible evidence of artefacts and rock art that reinforces the long connection we have to Country.”
—Damien Skurrie
Wotjobaluk Nations
An Economic and Cultural Centre
For tens of thousands of years, Dyurrite has been a place of making, exchange and economic life for Wotjobaluk Nations Peoples. Long before colonisation, the stone rediscovered was carefully quarried and shaped into tools that supported everyday life, ceremony and survival.
Stone from Dyurrite was used to produce axes and other implements essential for hunting, food preparation, shelter and cultural practice. These tools were not only used locally, but they were also traded across vast networks, connecting communities over long distances and forming part of a sophisticated economy grounded in Country, knowledge and relationship.
Quarrying at Dyurrite was guided by cultural lore and deep understanding of the land. Stone was taken with care, intention and responsibility, ensuring Country remained healthy and resources were sustained over generations. This knowledge was passed down through teaching, practice and story, forming part of the living cultural continuity that remains today.
“Most of our Ancestors were put into Ebenezer Mission north of Dimboola. They put black fellas in one place and isolated us, got us away from Country and hid us away from everything.
We are still recovering so much that was lost during that time and having culturally safe places at Dyurrite is a part of that restoration process.”
—Stuart Harradine
Wotjobaluk Nations
“It is really important to make sure people know there’s intangible heritage at Dyurrite. There are stories, cultural connections and legends that have been passed down for hundreds of generations. It is important for people to respect this connection.”
—Michael Douglas
Wotjobaluk Nations
“If people are going to come here, we just ask that they are respectful.”
—Aunty Sandra
Wotjobaluk Elder
Ancient Geology
The geological age of Dyurrite is extraordinary. The basalt ridges surrounding the cliffs are estimated to be around 500 million years old, while features such as Mount Talbot’s basalt cap formed later through ancient volcanic activity.
Dyurrite Today
Protection, Care and Continuity
Today, Dyurrite is recognised not only for its dramatic geology and ecological values, but for its ongoing cultural importance to Wotjobaluk Nations Peoples.
Caring for Dyurrite is about more than protecting a site, it is about respecting living culture, acknowledging enduring custodianship and ensuring that decision-making happens with Wotjobaluk Nations voices at the centre.
This includes:
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Respecting cultural protocols and access requirements
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Protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage and landscapes
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Supporting cultural education
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Ensuring future generations can maintain connection to this place
Dyurrite continues to be a place of learning, responsibility and relationship.
Respecting Country
Visitors are encouraged to experience Dyurrite with respect and care, recognising it as a living cultural landscape with deep meaning, history and responsibility.
Please see the Joint Statement released on 11 September 2025