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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website may contain images and voices of deceased people.

Hearth excavation at Mungo National Park. Photo: © Leanne Mitchell

The Willandra Lakes region in far south western New South Wales (NSW) is one of 15 World Heritage places included in the National Heritage List. It is home to the oldest ritual human burials in the world and contains a system of ancient lakes. 

Aboriginal people lived on the shores of the lakes for at least 50,000 years. The remains of a 40,000-year-old female found in the dunes of Lake Mungo are believed to be the oldest ritual cremation site in the world. Lake Mungo is one of 17 lakes in the amazing Willandra Lakes region. 

The Willandra Lakes Rangers work in partnership with private landholders and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service staff. They manage and protect this fragile region through conservation works across 2.4 million hectares. 

State: NSW

Administration Organisation

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service

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