How did the Gunditjmara farm eels?
The Gunditjmara people of southwest Victoria farmed short-finned eels by building channels, weirs and ponds in volcanic lava flows around Budj Bim, then catching the eels in long woven traps.
The system took advantage of seasonal floods. Channels dug into basalt rock guided water and young eels from Lake Condah and nearby wetlands into holding ponds, where they could grow. Stone walls controlled the water level.
At the right time, people placed long woven baskets, or eel traps, at gaps in the stone walls to catch eels moving downstream. The traps were made from plant fibres such as sedges and rushes.
Smoking and trading
Eels were smoked in hollow trees, preserving them so they could be stored and traded with other groups. Remains of stone houses nearby show that people lived in settled villages.
Some parts of the system are dated to at least 6,600 years old, making it one of the oldest aquaculture systems in the world. In 2019 it was listed as World Heritage.
Gunditjmara people still harvest and smoke eels, and Lake Condah, known as Tae Rak, was restored in 2010 when a weir returned water to the lake after decades of drainage. Gunditjmara guides share this knowledge with visitors on tours.
Did You Know?
Short-finned eels migrate thousands of kilometres to the Coral Sea to breed.