Budj Bim and the ancient eel farmsCEFR B1
26 Apr 2026
Adapted from Kevin Rennie, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Shalev Cohen, Unsplash
Budj Bim, in western Victoria, is home to some of the world’s oldest aquaculture systems, where Indigenous people farmed eels for thousands of years. Scientists estimate one of the five systems is around 6,600 years old, based on carbon-dating, and archaeological research has revised ideas about pre-colonial Indigenous life.
The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. Budj Bim is a dormant volcano with ancient basalt lava flows, and it was the first site inscribed for its cultural significance alone. The traditional owners produced a video during the nomination process.
The Gunditjmara are the traditional owners of this land. They resisted colonisation in the Eumerella Wars from the 1830s to the 1860s, and many later lived on a Church of England mission near Lake Condah from the 1890s until the 1950s. A hand-drawn map of Lake Condah and the fish-trap systems was made in 1893.
Recent social media interest has drawn visitors. Local organisations offer tours, and the Tae Rak Aquaculture centre at Lake Condah shows stone holding tanks and offers eel tasting.
Difficult words
- aquaculture — raising fish or other water animals for food
- carbon-dating — method to estimate age of ancient remains
- archaeological — relating to the study of past human life
- dormant — not active now but could be active later
- basalt — hard dark volcanic rock from lava flows
- colonisation — process when one country takes control of another
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could recent visitor interest and tours affect the Gunditjmara community and Budj Bim site?
- Why does the discovery of ancient aquaculture systems change ideas about pre-colonial Indigenous life?
- Would you like to visit Lake Condah and learn about the fish-trap systems? Why or why not?
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