Introduction

Across Bunurong and Boonwurrung Country in southern Victoria, mountains, granite uplands, volcanic rises, coastal headlands, dunes, and forested hills form living cultural landscapes connected to spirit, ecology, marine systems, and ancestral lore. Bunurong/Boonwurrung Country stretches from Naarm and the Mornington Peninsula through Western Port, Bass Coast, Wilsons Promontory, and South Gippsland.

Unlike the large volcanic mountain systems of western Victoria, many Bunurong uplands are connected to:

• Coastal escarpments

• Granite hills

• Sand dune systems

• Forested mountain ranges

• Marine headlands

• Island landscapes

For Bunurong peoples, mountains and elevated Country were important for:

• Navigation across coastlines and bays

• Seasonal observation

• Ceremony and gathering

• Marine and weather observation

• Story and lore systems

• Spiritual connection to sea and sky Country

Indigenous mountain and landscape names often described:

• Shape of the land

• Marine visibility

• Animal presence

• Wind and weather patterns

• Spiritual beings

• Coastal ecology

These uplands connected freshwater systems, marine environments, wetlands, forests, and estuaries into one interconnected system of Country (Clark 1990; Presland 1994).

Major Bunurong and Boonwurrung Mountains and Uplands

Wonga — Arthurs Seat

Colonial Name: Arthurs Seat

Indigenous Meaning:
Associated with “high place,” “lookout,” or “place of observation” (Clark & Heydon 2002).

Associated Indigenous Place Names:

• Mornington Peninsula

• Port Phillip Bay coastlines

• Kananook wetlands

• Bunurong marine Country

Ecology:

• Coastal forests

• Heathlands

• Wetland systems

• Estuarine ecology

• Bird migration corridors

• Coastal grasslands

Significance and Lore:

Wonga formed one of the major elevated observation points across Bunurong Country overlooking Port Phillip Bay and surrounding coastal plains.

The mountain allowed observation of:

• Seasonal weather changes

• Whale migration

• Bird movement

• Tidal systems

• Marine conditions

Elevated coastal places such as Wonga were important for navigation, ceremony, and ecological observation across marine Country.

Source of Name:
Clark & Heydon (2002); Presland (1994).

Millowl Uplands — Phillip Island

Colonial Name: Phillip Island

Indigenous Meaning:
Millowl is commonly interpreted as “place of many birds” or “island of seabirds” (Bunurong Land Council oral history references).

Associated Indigenous Place Names:

• Western Port

• Bass Strait marine systems

• Seal Rocks

• Coastal dune Country

Ecology:

• Coastal cliffs

• Penguin habitats

• Marine wetlands

• Saltmarsh systems

• Seabird breeding grounds

• Coastal heathlands

Significance and Lore:

Millowl held major ecological and spiritual significance within Bunurong marine Country. The island formed part of extensive:

• Fishing systems

• Marine hunting grounds

• Shellfish gathering areas

• Seasonal bird observation systems

The surrounding marine environments supported:

• Penguins

• Seals

• Fish migration

• Seabirds

• Shellfish ecosystems

Source of Name:
Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation; Clark (1990).

Wamoon — Wilsons Promontory

Colonial Name: Wilsons Promontory

Indigenous Meaning:
Associated with “mountain by the sea,” “windy high Country,” or “southern mountain place” (Clark 1990).

Associated Indigenous Place Names:

• Yanakie

• Corner Inlet

• Bass Strait marine systems

• South Gippsland forests

Ecology:

• Granite mountain systems

• Temperate rainforests

• Coastal dunes

• Wetland estuaries

• Marine ecosystems

• Mountain streams

Significance and Lore:

Wamoon formed one of the most spiritually significant landscapes within southern Bunurong Country. The mountain and coastal systems connected:

• Sea Country

• Forest Country

• Mountain water systems

• Marine migration routes

The area supported:

• Fishing systems

• Canoe travel

• Seasonal camps

• Marine observation

• Ceremony and gathering

The mountains overlooking Bass Strait were associated with weather observation, winds, tides, and ocean lore.

Source of Name:
Clark (1990); Presland (1994).

Dandenong Ranges — Corhanwarrabul

Colonial Name: Dandenong Ranges

Indigenous Meaning:
“High mountain forest,” “misty mountain place,” or “upland forests” (Clark & Heydon 2002).

Associated Indigenous Place Names:

• Fern gullies

• Mountain forests

• Creek systems flowing toward Port Phillip

• Eastern Kulin boundaries

Ecology:

• Mountain ash forests

• Fern gullies

• Rainforest ecosystems

• Freshwater creek systems

• Bird habitats

• Mist and cloud forests

Significance and Lore:

Corhanwarrabul formed an important upland system connecting Bunurong Country with neighbouring Kulin Nations.

Mountain forests supported:

• Medicinal plants

• Timber resources

• Freshwater systems

• Birdlife

• Shelter corridors

Mist-covered mountains and forest gullies were associated with spirit presence, sky-water systems, and seasonal weather observation.

Source of Name:
Clark & Heydon (2002).

Bass Coast Coastal Rises

Indigenous Meaning:
Various Bunurong names existed for coastal headlands, dune rises, and cliff systems before colonial renaming.

Associated Indigenous Place Names:

• Kilcunda

• Wonthaggi

• Cape Paterson

• Inverloch

• Bunurong marine Country

Ecology:

• Coastal dunes

• Cliff ecosystems

• Wetland lagoons

• Grassland systems

• Marine bird habitats

• Tidal estuaries

Significance and Lore:

The coastal uplands and dune systems along Bass Coast were important observation points connected to:

• Whale migration

• Tidal movement

• Marine hunting

• Fishing systems

• Storm observation

• Seasonal calendars

The cliffs and dune systems also protected freshwater wetlands and estuaries behind the coast.

Source of Name:
Clark (1990); Bunurong oral traditions.

French Island Uplands

Indigenous Meaning:
Traditional Bunurong names associated with island wetlands and elevated coastal systems existed before colonial naming.

Associated Indigenous Place Names:

• Western Port

• Mangrove wetlands

• Marine tidal systems

Ecology:

• Mangrove forests

• Coastal marshlands

• Bird migration habitats

• Saltmarsh wetlands

• Marine ecosystems

Significance and Lore:

The uplands and wetlands of French Island formed part of extensive marine and tidal systems supporting:

• Fish nurseries

• Shellfish gathering

• Bird breeding

• Canoe routes

• Seasonal marine harvesting

Source of Name:
Clark & Heydon (2002).

Mountains, Sea Country, and Lore

Across Bunurong Country, mountains and elevated coastal landscapes were deeply connected to:

• Marine systems

• Moon and tide cycles

• Whale migration

• Weather observation

• Bird movement

• Ancestral sea lore

Unlike inland volcanic mountain traditions, Bunurong mountain lore was strongly connected to:

• Wind systems

• Ocean observation

• Coastal navigation

• Storm cycles

• Marine ecology

Many high coastal places were spiritually significant because they connected:

• Sky Country

• Sea Country

• Forest Country

• Water systems

Mountains overlooking Bass Strait and Western Port were important for reading seasonal ecological changes across both land and sea.

Colonisation and Landscape Change

Colonisation dramatically altered Bunurong mountain and coastal systems through:

• Land clearing

• Urban expansion

• Quarrying

• Wetland drainage

• Coastal erosion

• Tourism development

Many sacred uplands, dune systems, and ceremonial areas were damaged during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (Broome 2005).

Colonial naming systems replaced many Bunurong landscape names with British names honouring settlers, explorers, and military figures.

Despite these disruptions, Bunurong cultural knowledge survived through:

• Oral tradition

• Elders

• Language revival

• Cultural continuity

• Contemporary Traditional Owner organisations

Contemporary Cultural Revitalisation

Today, the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation continues major cultural and environmental restoration projects across Bunurong Country.

Projects include:

• Indigenous place-name restoration

• Coastal ecology protection

• Cultural mapping

• Marine habitat restoration

• Language revitalisation

• On-Country education

• Protection of sacred landscapes

These initiatives reconnect communities with ancient ecological systems while strengthening cultural continuity and environmental care.

Conclusion

Bunurong and Boonwurrung mountains, hills, and coastal uplands preserve ancient systems of ecological observation, marine knowledge, spirituality, and ancestral lore across southern Victoria. From Wonga and Millowl to Wamoon, Corhanwarrabul, Bass Coast headlands, and the marine uplands surrounding Western Port, elevated landscapes formed important cultural systems linking sea, sky, forests, wetlands, and ceremony. Each Indigenous mountain and landscape name carried meanings connected to ecology, weather, marine systems, spirituality, and ancestral presence. These landscapes supported navigation, seasonal knowledge, trade, gathering, and cultural continuity for thousands of years before colonisation. Today, the restoration of Bunurong place names and cultural landscapes represents an ongoing renewal of language, sovereignty, ecological care, and connection to Country.

References

Blake, B 1991, Wathawurrung and the Colac Language of Southern Victoria, Pacific Linguistics, Canberra.

Broome, R 2005, Aboriginal Victorians: A History Since 1800, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.

Clark, ID 1990, Aboriginal Languages and Clans: An Historical Atlas of Western and Central Victoria, 1800–1900, Monash Publications in Geography, Melbourne.

Clark, ID & Heydon, T 2002, Dictionary of Aboriginal Placenames of Victoria, Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages, Melbourne.

Presland, G 1994, Aboriginal Melbourne: The Lost Land of the Kulin People, Harriland Press, Melbourne.

Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter and Uncle Reg Abrahams (22 September 2025)

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Magic Lands Alliance acknowledges the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We honour their enduring connection to the sky, land, waters, language, and culture. We pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging, and to all First Peoples’ communities and language groups. This article draws only on publicly available information; many cultural practices remain the intellectual property of their respective communities.