Mitchell River National Park is one of the jointly managed parks within Gippsland. The Joint Management agreement recognises the fact that the Gunaikurnai people hold Aboriginal Title and maintain a strong connection to Country. As custodians of the land, they are the rightful people who speak for their Country. These parks and reserves are cultural landscapes that continue to be part of Gunaikurnai living culture. For more information on Joint Management, please visit the Gunaikurnai Traditional Owner Land Management Board and the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation.

Mitchell River National Park, on Brabralung Country, is highly significant to Gunaikurnai Traditional Owners due to its remarkable Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Walk through the rainforest gully to the Den of Nargun and absorb the eerie atmosphere from a safe distance. Tradition has it the Nargun, a fierce being, half human and half stone, lives there. The Gunaikurnai people and Parks Victoria ask you to respect this special place by not entering the cave.

Enjoy the loop walk at the Den of Nargun, where you can access the Mitchell River for a swim during the warmer months. Walk into Deadcock Den and see Eastern Water Dragons relaxing in the sun, and check out the panoramic view of the Den loop track and the wider park landscape from the lookout. From here you can return to the Den of Nargun picnic area for a spot of lunch or afternoon tea. Toilets, a picnic shelter and tables, gas barbecue and fire places are provided.

Billy Goat Bend is also a popular spot for a picnic, with basic facilities and panoramic views of the Mitchell River Gorge and rapids from the Lookout point. The Billy Goat Bend Camp area also has toilets, picnic tables and fire places for campers and day visitors, and provides a perfect resting point for those hiking along the Mitchell River Walking Track between Angusvale and the Den of Nargun.

Brabralung Country

Mitchell River National Park has a rich cultural history that tells of tribal conflict, ceremonies, food gathering, community life and local spirits. It is rocky country that has rugged gorges... good lookout points for our ancestors, used for safety and defence... There are important places throughout this park — Angusvale was a good source of food, medicine and materials, and Billy Goat Bend had reliable water. Deadcock Den is important to the Gunaikurnai people. The Den of Nargun, a cave behind a waterfall, is a place of great cultural significance to the Gunaikurnai people, especially women… and may have been used for women’s initiation and learning ceremonies.

Gunaikurnai Whole-of-Country Plan (GLaWAC 2015)

The park and gorge was a stopping‐off point for Gunaikurnai travelling to the high country. Today, it provides an easily accessible entry into the fringes of the Victorian Alps and a sense of remoteness from the plains due to the enclosed gorge and valleys.

Preserving the past is important to better manage our cultural landscapes. Patrick Mullett is a proud Gunaikurnai man working on Country to manage Aboriginal cultural heritage. He assesses sites and provides advice under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 on how to best protect cultural heritage.