Magic Lands Educational Articles

Agriculture of the First Peoples of Victoria: Cultivating Country and Culture

For tens of thousands of years, the First Peoples of Victoria developed sophisticated systems of agriculture, aquaculture, and land management. While colonisers often dismissed Aboriginal societies as “hunter-gatherers,” recent scholarship and oral traditions show that Victorian Aboriginal groups carefully cultivated plants, engineered waterways, and managed ecosystems to provide food, fibre, and resources (Pascoe, 2014; Gammage, 2011). Agriculture for the First Peoples of Victoria was never about exploitation or monoculture. It was embedded in Lore of Country, where care for land was inseparable from cultural and spiritual life (Clark, 1990).

Murnong (Yam Daisy) Cultivation on the Volcanic Plains

Before colonisation, the vast basalt plains stretching from Melbourne to western Victoria were carpeted with murnong (Microseris lanceolata), the most important staple food for many Aboriginal communities (Pascoe, 2014). Women harvested the tubers with digging sticks, carefully replanting smaller roots so that fields naturally regenerated. These landscapes were deliberately managed through cultural burning, where cool fires cleared invasive shrubs and encouraged murnong growth (Gammage, 2011). Early colonists described these open, flowering fields as resembling European farmlands (Broome, 2005).

Murnong provided the main carbohydrate source in Kulin diets, forming the basis of daily meals. This sustainable system, however, was quickly destroyed. Within a decade of sheep and cattle grazing, murnong fields were devastated, leaving communities without their primary food source and forcing many into hunger and crisis (Broome, 2005). The story of murnong illustrates how Aboriginal agriculture was both highly ecological and resilient, yet deeply vulnerable to colonial disruption.

Firestick Farming

Controlled burning, often referred to as cultural burning, was a cornerstone of Victorian Aboriginal agriculture (Gammage, 2011). Through the careful use of fire, Aboriginal peoples cleared undergrowth, encouraged fresh grass shoots, and maintained open landscapes that were ideal for hunting. These practices supported kangaroo populations, regenerated edible plants, and significantly reduced the risk of destructive wildfires. Burning was never random; it was applied at specific times of the year depending on local ecosystems, creating a seasonal rhythm that balanced ecological health with human needs. This practice represented a science of ecology, refined and passed down through generations as part of Aboriginal knowledge systems (Pascoe, 2014).

Seed and Grain Farming

Victorian Aboriginal communities also practised forms of seed and grain farming, harvesting native grasses such as kangaroo grass and millet, which were then ground into flour and baked into damper-like breads (Pascoe, 2014). Women played a central role in this process, using stone grinding tools that have been uncovered at archaeological sites across the region. Harvesting was guided by seasonal calendars, and the grasslands were carefully managed to ensure long-term productivity. This approach to agriculture reflects a system of sustainability and renewal, where careful observation and ecological knowledge maintained balance between human needs and the environment (Gammage, 2011).

Eel Traps and Aquaculture: Budj Bim (Gunditjmara Country)

On Gunditjmara Country in western Victoria, one of the world’s oldest and most sophisticated aquaculture systems was developed at Budj Bim (Mount Eccles). Over 6,600 years ago, Gunditjmara people constructed an extensive network of basalt stone channels, weirs, and ponds designed to trap and farm short-finned eels (kooyang) (UNESCO, 2019).

This engineered system allowed for year-round harvesting, enabling permanent settlements that could support hundreds, if not thousands, of people (Clark, 1990). Eels were smoked and preserved for long-term storage and regional trade, embedding Budj Bim into far-reaching economic networks across southeastern Australia.

The scale and longevity of Budj Bim demonstrates that Gunditjmara people were not simply “hunter-gatherers,” but highly skilled agriculturalists and engineers who reshaped their environment with foresight and precision. In recognition of its significance, the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 as one of the oldest aquaculture systems on Earth.

Wadawurrung Agriculture along the Barwon River

On Wadawurrung Country — covering Geelong, Ballarat, and the Bellarine Peninsula — agriculture and aquaculture sustained communities through a blend of river-based food systems and plains cultivation. Archaeological evidence along the Barwon and Moorabool Rivers reveals the use of fishing weirs, eel harvesting, and plant processing, with eel migrations carefully timed according to star cycles that linked cosmology to agriculture (Clark, 1990).

Like other Kulin groups, the Wadawurrung relied heavily on murnong (yam daisy), which thrived in the volcanic soils around Geelong. Oral histories describe women working in teams to harvest the tubers, turning over the soil with digging sticks and replanting smaller roots to ensure continuous regrowth (Pascoe, 2014). Agriculture also carried ceremonial weight: tanderrum, or welcome ceremonies, often included the sharing of seasonal foods, reinforcing the bond between agriculture, diplomacy, and cultural law (Broome, 2005).

This sustainable system was rapidly undermined after colonisation, as sheep and cattle destroyed murnong fields and disrupted river systems by the 1840s, forcing many Wadawurrung people into dependence on rations from missions and reserves. The case of Wadawurrung Country shows how riverine and agricultural systems were intricately woven into cultural life, yet highly vulnerable to colonial disruption.

Cultural Dimensions of Agriculture

For the First Peoples of Victoria, agriculture was never a purely economic activity but one deeply embedded in cultural and spiritual life. Harvesting and burning practices were guided by seasonal calendars aligned with the stars, the flowering of plants, and the movements of animals, ensuring food production was synchronised with the rhythms of Country (Broome, 2005). Access to resources was also regulated by totems and kinship systems, which determined who could harvest particular foods, reinforcing respect for ecosystems and social balance (Clark, 1990). In addition, songlines carried agricultural knowledge across the landscape, functioning as oral maps that marked when and where to gather plants and animals, while also linking trade routes and cultural exchange (Pascoe, 2014). In this way, agriculture was inseparable from spirituality, law, and ecological stewardship.

Impacts of Colonisation

The arrival of European colonists caused devastating disruption to Aboriginal agricultural systems. Sheep and cattle rapidly destroyed the murnong fields that had sustained communities for millennia, creating food shortages within a decade of settlement (Broome, 2005). Missions and reserves displaced people from their lands, while colonial authorities banned cultural burning, which not only undermined Aboriginal ecological practices but also increased the severity of bushfires in later centuries (Gammage, 2011).

In addition to environmental destruction, colonisation disrupted the transmission of knowledge, as suppression of language and culture made it harder to maintain agricultural practices (Pascoe, 2014). Yet despite this, oral histories and archaeology continue to preserve much of this wisdom, allowing it to be revived in the present day.

Revival of Aboriginal Agriculture in Victoria

Today, Aboriginal communities across Victoria are leading a revival of traditional food systems and ecological knowledge. At Budj Bim, aquaculture practices have been restored and are now used for education, tourism, and cultural renewal (UNESCO, 2019). Murnong fields are being replanted by Aboriginal land councils and community gardens, while cultural burning programs are being reintroduced in partnership with government agencies to reduce fuel loads and restore biodiversity (Gammage, 2011).

Aboriginal corporations such as the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Council, the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, and the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation are playing central roles in this work, combining traditional practices with contemporary science to manage Country (Broome, 2005). These initiatives show that Aboriginal agriculture is not a relic of the past but a living system of knowledge vital to the present and future.

Population and Agricultural Capacity

Archaeological and historical evidence shows that agriculture sustained relatively dense Aboriginal populations in Victoria prior to colonisation (Clark, 1990). The Gunditjmara aquaculture system at Budj Bim, for instance, was capable of supporting thousands of people year-round, providing a reliable and renewable food source through engineered eel farming (UNESCO, 2019). Such examples challenge colonial stereotypes of Aboriginal societies as nomadic, revealing instead that many Victorian groups were semi-sedentary agriculturalists who carefully managed their landscapes. Their agricultural systems demonstrated a level of sophistication and ecological foresight comparable to farming societies across the world (Pascoe, 2014).

Conclusion

The agriculture of the First Peoples of Victoria reveals a story of deep ecological knowledge, sustainable food systems, and cultural connection to Country. From murnong cultivation and cultural burning to eel farming at Budj Bim and Wadawurrung river-based agriculture, Victorian Aboriginal peoples shaped their environment with care and foresight. Colonisation devastated these systems, replacing them with sheep runs, crops, and towns that disregarded sustainability and Aboriginal sovereignty. Yet today, Aboriginal-led projects are reviving these practices, demonstrating that the future of agriculture in Victoria may draw as much from ancient wisdom as from modern science.

Reference List

• Broome, R. (2005). Aboriginal Victorians: A History Since 1800. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

• Clark, I. (1990). Aboriginal Languages and Clans: An Historical Atlas of Western and Central Victoria, 1800–1900. Melbourne: Monash Publications in Geography.

• Gammage, B. (2011). The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

• Pascoe, B. (2014). Dark Emu: Black Seeds – Agriculture or Accident? Broome: Magabala Books.

• UNESCO (2019). Budj Bim Cultural Landscape World Heritage Listing. Paris: UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter 16/09/2025

Copyright of MLA – 2025

Magic Lands Alliance acknowledge the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We honour their enduring connection to the sky, land, waters, language, and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, and to all First Peoples communities and language groups. This article draws only on publicly available information; many cultural practices remain the intellectual property of communities.