Interpretive Poles Display

Every year, literally millions of Bogong moths spawn and fly a thousand kilometres to the High Country. 

It is one of Australia’s most spectacular ecological phenomena. For countless centuries, the high protein arrival prompted a journey into the Alps by the surrounding aboriginal tribes. These reunions led to a festival of celebration, marriage and business.

Many rare and wonderful orchids, ferns and mossy ground covers reside in the region, all watched over by the mighty Eucalyptus Delegatenis (Alpine Ash). 

These plants hold vital roles in the regulation of the water cycle, habitats for fauna and natures cycle.

Alpine Marsh Marigold

Found in one small area on Mt Buller, the rare and threatened Alpine Marsh Marigold flowers while covered in snow, revealing its delicate beauty as the snow melts away.

Alpine Water Fern

Also known as the Little Hardy Fern, this proud beauty is a dashing little ever green and is fond of sending down roots into the damp soil or soaked sphagnum at elevations of 1000 metres or more.

Sphagnum Moss

These plants, regulators of the water cycle, can hold more than 20 times their own weight, absorbing a vast quantity during any heavy downpour or after snow melt and then releasing it in a more gradual flow to the valleys, creeks, rivers and ocean. 

Sun Orchid

This delicate flower opens in bright sunshine.  Like many fragile Australian orchids, they appear in the bush in unexpected places, just when you are not looking for them. 

After years of fruitless searching, gold was eventually found in the Upper Goulburn in 1854.  From then until 1870, the modern equivalent of 60 million dollars of gold was taken from local rivers by alluvial miners.

Gold mining is still active in the Woods Point area and you can explore the Woods Point Gold-mines Historic Area

The Taungurung people shared a common bond in moiety affiliation with the other tribes. Their world was divided into two moieties: Bundjil (Wedge Tail Eagle) and Waang (Crow). Members of the tribe identified with one or the other of these moieties and it was their moiety which determined the pattern for marriage between individuals, clans and tribes and transcended local allegiances by obliging clan members to find spouses from some distant clan of the opposite moiety either within or outside their Wurrung (language group).

The nature of the Taungurung people enabled us to utilise the resources available in our vast country. Our ancestors had an intimate knowledge of their environment and were able to sustain the ecology of each region and exploit the food available.

A staple plant food was the Mirnong (Yam Daisy) which provided a reliable source of carbohydrate. Other plants such as the Bracken Fern (food and medicine), the Tree Fern, Kangaroo Apple and Cherry Balert were a valuable food source and can still be seen growing on Taungurung country today.

Dhulangi (Stringy Bark) was used to construct Yilam (Shelters) or to weave binak (Baskets). Fibrous plants, such as Dulim (Tussock Grass) produced Burrdi-am (Twine) for Garrtgirrk (Nets) while other tree species were utilised for their timber to fashion Malga (Shield), Gudjerron (Clubs), Wanggim (Boomerangs). Daanak (Water Carriers) and Gorong (Canoes). The rich resources of the permanent rivers, creeks, tributaries and associated floodplains enabled Taungurung to people to access an abundance of fish and other wildlife. Fish were speared and trapped while water birds were netted and Marram (Kangaroo), Goorbil (Koala), and Barramul (Emu) provided nourishing food.

The pelts from the Walert (Native Possum) were sewn together to form Gugra (Cloak ideal for the cold and wet conditions. Plants such as Karradjong provided fibres to weave Garrtgirrk (Nets) for harvesting the nutritious Debera (Bogong Moth). In the summer the Taungurung people would travel south for the Debera season and then head back northwards when the weather cooled.

The story of the carvings by Taungurung traditional owner Michael Harding

The first shield as you look at it from the entrance represents the nine clans of the Taungurung; Budhera-bulok (Bundjil), Leuk-yilam (Waang), Mummum-yilam (Bundjil), Naterrak-bulok (Waang), Nira-bulok (Waang), Waring-yilam-bulok (Bundjil), Yaran-yilam (Bundjil), Yiran-yilam-bulok (Bundjil), Yawang-yilam-bulok (Waang). As you can see at the end of the name of each clan there is the name of the moiety or skin group (Bundjil–Wedge Tailed Eagle) and Waang (Crow) for the particular clans. There are nine symbols on that shield that you’re looking at, of which five are red (Bundjil) and four are black (Waang) these are the symbols I use to represent the clans.

The reason I’m showing you the different moieties/skin groups is in traditional times before European people came here these were the way in which our old people organised marriages. It is a paternal society that works something like this. The Elders of any particular clan would get together and organise marriage and a Bundjil clan person could only marry a Waang clan person, and the women of either of these groups went to the man’s clan country to live (if she was from a Bundjil clan, she would marry a man from Waang clan and go to his clan country). The shield on the opposite side represents the wings of both of these birds with Bundjil having red wings and Waang having black wings.

The Eel trap was made by the late Aunty Joyce Moate who was a basket maker for most of her life and this depiction of one of her pieces of work is a dedication to her as this is her clan area. Aunty Joyce has passed on her knowledge to many Taungurung women so that the tradition lives on with our women today. Lastly this is a story that we share with you as we are the First People of the Rivers and Mountains in this area.

Source: taungurung.com.au/culture-2/

Some local families have worked the same area of forest for five generations. “If you could fit your arms around a tree, you’d leave it for the next generation”.

Forestry opened up the mountains for the bushwalkers and skiers who today revel in the majesty of the place.  

The buildings of the High Country have been shaped by the characteristic climate, terrain and history of the region – the seasons, rivers, slopes, snow, gold and timber laboriously hauled from the mountains.

The romance of the High Country horse, the skill of the horseman, Banjo’s galloping poetry, a thousand campfire tales and the muster of the cattle loom large in the consciousness of Australia.

A stamp of the hoof and a snorted cloud of breath into the crisp morning air has ushered in the new day for over 150 years.

Mansfield was developed as a township at the junction of four major pastoral runs operating from the late 1830s. Identified as rich grazing land with good access to streams the area was attractive to early squatters, who formed the backbone of later successful farming and agricultural enterprises. 

The gnarled and twisted snow gums lean low and outwards on the mountain tops above the mighty Eucalyptus Delegatensis (Alpine Ash) which reaches up into the mist from the valleys.

These forests are feared and respected by the most experienced “bushie” because of their massive dropping branches and the ease with which people become lost in among the trees.

The Mansfield Courier described January 13, 1939 as “The blackest day in the region’s history”. Fire had been managed carefully for thousands of years by aboriginal people.

However, in 1939, after a century long build up of potential fuel, disaster struck! 

The spectacular snow-capped mountains of the High Country shaped the local ecology for countless millennia. In the early 1920’s, the Ski Club of Victoria explored Mt Buller. 

The first chalet was built in 1929 and by 1953, Mt Buller had 26 club lodges. 

Now Victoria’s premier modern ski resort Mt Buller has over 300 hectares of skiable terrain and 22 lifts that can move more than 40,000 people an hour. 

Australia’s rarest and most fragile ecologies occur in the High Country.  Alpine species are beautifully adapted to survive this unique environment. However, global warming, large scale fell logging and general activities of humans pose serious threats to habitats and niches to the mountains. 

The Taungurung people have a continuing connection to their traditional lands and are retrieving their language.

BULLEN BULLEN – Lyrebird

WAYGROOK – WALERT – Pygmy Possum

NGARRK – Mountain

GABING – Snow

GARRING – Gum

BAANY – Water

In 1878, four mounted troopers entered the forest near Stringybark Creek, about 12 miles from this spot, to arrest Ned and Dan Kelly.  Unfortunately the Kellys, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart found the police camp first and advanced on it, the ensuing firefight left three police officers dead. Ned was later found guilty of murder for his actions at Stringybark.

Within the deep valleys of the High Country, legendary rivers and lakes form lifelines and playgrounds for visitors and community alike.

Five major river systems start on the mountain peaks, descend to the valleys and bring life to dependant communities who cherish the rich resource of this sparkling water.

The Burramys, or the mountain pygmy possum, is seriously threatened with 2600 adults shrinking to 1000 in poor years. The best habitats have high elevations, deep boulders and bogong moths. The biggest threat to survival will be the effect of climate change.The Burramys, or the mountain pygmy possum, is seriously threatened with 2600 adults shrinking to 1000 in poor years. The best habitats have high elevations, deep boulders and bogong moths. The biggest threat to survival will be the effect of climate change.