Welcome to Gummingurru

Gummingurru is an Aboriginal Bora, or ceremonial, site. Gummingurru is a very special place. Before Europeans arrived it was where Aboriginal people would meet their friends, have ceremonies, dance and sing. In those days Gummingurru was a place that could only be visited by older boys and men. The boys were painted with ochre and initiated into manhood.  They were taught about the plants and animals in their environment - how to hunt them and how to take care of them. In the past Aboriginal people from southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales stopped at Gummingurru on their journey to the Bunya Mountains for the Bunya Nut Festival. For some Aboriginal people it was a long way to walk.

The Gummingurru Aboriginal stone arrangement site is north of Toowoomba, between the towns of Highfields and Meringandan on the Darling Downs, in inland southern Queensland. It is almost 5ha in size and is made up of more than a dozen designs made from the arrangement of local rocks which are formed from the basalt that covers parts of the site. It is one of the largest stone arrangement sites in Queensland, and is the most easterly stone Bora site recorded in Queensland.

Today Gummingurru is open to everyone. It is still a very special place. Here we can all learn about Aboriginal culture. It is important that visitors behave properly at Gummingurru: listen to people when they talk, wear hats and sunscreen, and don’t leave your rubbish!

Find out more about the site history.