Who are the Ngunnawal people?
The Ngunnawal are an Aboriginal people of the Canberra region and surrounding areas of the ACT and southern New South Wales. Their country includes the land on which the national capital was built.
Ngunnawal people have lived in the region for many thousands of years. Their country features grasslands, rivers such as the Murrumbidgee and Molonglo, and the surrounding ranges, where seasonal gatherings took place.
Each summer, Aboriginal groups from the region travelled to the high country of the Brindabella and Snowy mountains to feast on Bogong moths, which gather in rock crevices. These gatherings were also times for ceremonies and trade.
Canberra today
Ngunnawal elders give Welcomes to Country at events in Canberra, including the opening of federal Parliament. Some other groups, such as the Ngambri and Ngarigo, also have connections to the Canberra region.
Sites such as Birrigai rock shelter at Tidbinbilla and rock art in Namadgi National Park record a long human history in the area.
The ACT Government works with Ngunnawal people through agreements on land and cultural heritage. The Aboriginal Tent Embassy, opposite Old Parliament House, is a national protest site rather than a Ngunnawal institution.
Did You Know?
Some Ngunnawal place names, such as Tuggeranong, are still used for Canberra suburbs and districts.