Stories

Events Calendar

Home

Learning Programs

Profiles

Search

Sovereign Hill acknowledges the Wadawurrung people as the Traditional custodians of the land on which we operate. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and to all of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who live and work on Wadawurrung Country. We acknowledge their unceded sovereignty over Wadawurrung Country, and the ongoing hardship and trauma as a result of colonisation. The history and continuous culture of the Wadawurrung people is an important part of our shared story.

Australian Flags

Gold Panning

Regular Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm | Mondays: Pre-booked school groups only.King's Birthday: We are open Monday 9 June, 10am-5pm for the public holiday.Gold Rush Centre &amp; Rare Trades Centre: Open for pre-booked workshops &amp; tours only.

Stay in the loop with Sovereign Hill—events, offers, and stories delivered straight to your inbox!

SH Summer Friends

Sign up to our mailing list to be the first to receive latest news and special offers.

Email

First Name

Last Name

Postcode

Phone (optional)

Wadawurrung Cultural Precinct

Title of artwork: buniya beenyak Artist: Tammy Gilson Year: 2024 Medium: Bronze cast originally woven from murmbal - black panther flax Size: 5.7 metres 
Artist Statement
The practice of weaving buniya beenyak (eel basket) for eeling of short-finned eels (Anguilla australis) among Wadawurrung kinkinbil/people is a significant cultural tradition that intertwines knowledge with social practice.

The inherited right of process is determined for the right time to harvest plant materials to weave buniya beenyak. Structures of stone and wood are placed along specific waters to create a system that enable the placement of buniya beenyak, designed to channel and direct buniya, facilitating their capture during their migration journey to the warmer waters of the Coral Sea to spawn. Their migration is a critical part of their purpose and life cycle, showcasing their endurance and adaptability, upon the return journey to water Country. Buniya was often smoked with hot ashes from the fire and eaten. Tammy says, "weaving Buniya Beenyak has a childhood memory for me and I would often go fishing on Country with my brother and catch buniya".

Eel trap

Tammy Gilson is a traditional weaver and multi award winning artist who’s love for weaving is enriched by her work with cultural fire, grounding it in a deep understanding of Country, plants and animals. Tammy’s holistic approach not only shapes her work but also serves to empower, inspire, and embody Cultural resilience. Through her weaving, Tammy bridges traditional knowledge and contemporary expression, creating a powerful narrative that celebrates and sustains Wadawurrung culture.

Tammy Gilson is a proud Wadawurrung woman and award-winning weaver, and member of the Koorie Heritage Trust's Blak Design project.