History and culture

One of the rivers you might visit in Victoria is the Murray River .

The Murray River separates the state of Victoria from its neighbour, New South Wales.

It is one of the many rivers in Victoria.

Driving through Victoria, you might notice signs saying “Welcome to Yorta Yorta Country ”

These signs point to the history and first people of the area.

Photo Source: Border Mail

Aboriginal people are the first people of Australia.

They have lived along the Murray River for thousands of years.

Aboriginal people have other names for the river.

The Yorta Yorta people call it Dhungala.

The Ngarrindjeri call it Millewa, Mille, or Mirri.

These names carry deep meaning, family histories, and spiritual connections to the land and water.

Aboriginal people used canoes to travel, fish and connect with other communities.

They carved canoes from tall trees. The canoes were carefully made with ancient knowledge.

The bark from trees was also used to make containers, shields, and other items.

Across Victoria, you can still find trees that have the canoe scar in the trunk.

They are called scar trees .

The scar trees remind us of the Aboriginal people who lived here.

The first people who looked after the land and lived in harmony with the natural world.

See if you can find a scar tree when you are out in the Victorian bush.

Photo courtesy of Greening Australia