Located in south-east Queensland, the Bunya Mountains hold immense cultural and environmental significance. The Bunya Mountains are home to a unique assemblage of plants, animals and ecosystems. They are home to more than 30 rare and threatened species. It is one of the few places in south-east Queensland where an Aboriginal fire-managed cultural landscape is evident.
For thousands of years, Aboriginal people gathered on the mountains to celebrate the bountiful harvest of the bunya pines. The gathering, known as the Bonye Bonye festival, was held in alignment with the bumper bunya nut crop. This occurred roughly every three years and was a time of feasting, ceremony, marriage, dispute settlement and trade.
The Bunya Mountains Murri Rangers maintain areas of traditional importance. They help conserve and protect the natural and cultural resources of the Mountains. Their duties include managing wildlife and cultural sites. The rangers manage threatened grassland bald ecosystems which developed from traditional Aboriginal burning practices. The rangers also educate Indigenous communities and youth about the cultural heritage and traditional connections to country on the Bunya Mountains.
State: Qld - Mainland southern region
Administration Organisation
Bunya People's Aboriginal Corporation