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Aboriginal Australians have lived on the land for millennia, developing a strong commitment to look after it, and accumulating generations of traditional knowledge about the ecology.

We’re proud to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the places in which we live and work, and pay our respects to Elders, past and present. Below are some of the groups we work with around Australia.

Map of Australia with locations of all our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partnerships.
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Map of Australia with locations of all our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partnerships.

Whenever we buy land we seek to engage with the Traditional Custodians to ensure they maintain access and a connection to Country. We value their insight, cultural perspective and collaboration. We also invest in partnering with Aboriginal groups who are themselves landowners – often of vast estates.

We help with developing and implementing Healthy Country Plans that achieve conservation goals while creating jobs and livelihood on Country.

This approach has broken new ground. In 2011 our 10-year agreement with the Wunambal Gaambera people was the first long-term conservation partnership of its kind in Australia. Many have followed.

Caption of this image Bush Heritage Aboriginal partnerships
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Birriliburu rangers, Vanessa Westcott & Hamish Morgan. Photo Annette Ruzicka.
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Whistling Ducks on the Arafura Swamp. Photo Daniel Hartley-Allen.

Arafura

Established: 2014
Area: 1.2 million ha
Location: 450km east of Darwin (NT)

Guruwiling (Arafura Swamp) is the largest freshwater ecosystem in Arnhem Land and one of the largest contiguous paperbark swamps in Australia. We’ve supported the Arafura Swamp Rangers with planning, governance, conservation work and monitoring.

Arafura

Birriliburu

Established: 2011
Area: 300,000 ha
Location: 500km SE of Port Headland

The Birriliburu Indigenous Protected Area in WA covers 6.6 million hectares in the Little Sandy and Gibson Deserts – roughly the same size as Tasmania. The Traditional Custodians are the Martu people who’ve established a ranger program.

Birriliburu
RS17684 rita cutter shoe weaving
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Traditional shoe weaving demonstration. Photo Annette Ruzicka.
RS15516 bunuba rangers
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Bunuba Rangers. Photo Steve Heggie.

Bunuba

Established: 2014
Area: 650,000 ha
Location: North of Fitzroy Crossing (WA)

Bunuba country is in the central-west Kimberley surrounding the township of Fitzroy Crossing and including Giekie Gorge, Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge National Parks.

Bunuba

Karajarri

Established: 2018
Partnership area: 2.1 million ha
Location: 190km south of Broome (WA)

Known as the gateway to the Kimberley, Karajarri Country comprises Jurarr (coastal country), and Pirra (inland country) including red dunes of the Great Sandy Desert. Supporting more Karajarri women to work on country is the main focus of our partnership.

Karajarri
RS25915 Kara women rangers
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Karajarri women rangers. Photo William Marwick.
RS32213 Mawonga rocky outcrop
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View over Mawonga IPA. Photo Sarah Eccles.

Mawonga

Established: 2009
Area: 22,350 ha
Location: 290km west of Dubbo (NSW)

For Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan people Mawonga Station is a significant part of their traditional Country. Through the Winangakirri Aboriginal Corporation, it was bought on their behalf with funds from the National Reserve System and Indigenous Land Corporation. We helped with the purchase, ecological assessments and management plans.

Mawonga

Mimal

Established: 2016
Area: 1.9 million ha
Location: 250km east of Katherine (NT)

Mimal Country abutts the Warddeken IPA to the north-west and Gurruwiling (Arafura Swamp) to the north-east, creating significant connectivity. We’ve helped implement the Healthy Country Plan, focusing on important freshwater resources.

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Brown Falcon. Photo Ben Parkhurst.
RS17654 Golden shouldered Parrot
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Golden-shouldered Parrots. Photo Bruce Thomson.

Olkola

Established: 2014
Area: 869,822 ha
Location: 300km north-west of Cairns (Qld)

Olkola Country’s healthy woodlands and grasslands are the largest remaining stronghold for the endangered Golden-shouldered Parrot (Alwal). We supported the development of Olkola’s Healthy Country Plan and a long-term project to protect Alwal.

Olkola partnership

Waanyi Garawa

Location: Gulf of Carpentaria

An emerging partnership on the Northern Territory/Queensland border. We’ve supported an annual culture camp and wildlife survey since 2016 to help people reconnect with country. With the Nothern Land Council, we’ve also helped support a first Healthy Country Planning Workshop towards developing a Healthy Country Plan and establishing a working group.

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Purple-crowned Fairy Wren.
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Rock Art gallery at Ngalkombarli. Photo David Hancock.

Warddeken

Established: 2007
Area: 1.4 million ha
Location: 230km east of Darwin (NT)

We’ve helped support the development and implementation of a management plan for the Warddeken IPA. The plan ensures sustainable management for conservation, and the protection of important cultural sites.

Warddeken

Wunambal Gaambera

Established: 2011
Area: 759,806 ha
Location: 600km north east of Derby (WA)

The land and waters of the Wunambal Gaambera people covers an incredible 2.5 million hectares of white sandy beaches, rocky escarpments and rugged gorges. We’ve helped create a Healthy Country Plan and supported its implementation.

Wunambal Gaambera
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Mitchell Falls. Photo courtesy Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation.

Partnership stories