Visit Outback NSW

Here you will see the fish traps, known in the Aboriginal language as Ngunnhu, that are purpose built rock structures forming a network of mazes that enabled the corralling and catching of fish. It is understood that the traps sustained several thousand Aboriginal people during tribal gatherings held prior to European settlement.

Estimated to have existed for over 40,000 years, the traps are believed to be the oldest man-made structure on earth. The system that exists today is a restoration; much of what existed at the time of European settlement was unfortunately removed in order for the early river boats to travel further upstream.

Brewarrina was settled by Europeans in the 1840s who, by the 1860s, realised that it was primarily the furthest point that river boats could reliably travel up the Darling River. As such it became an important port for settlers wishing to ship their wool to the coast.

Today, Brewarrina is quiet and peaceful with some particularly attractive and historic buildings including Christ Church and the excellent suspension bridge. The fish traps provide the visitor with an insight to way the waterways were managed by the indigenous Australians. This connectivity to the river and the land is continued down the Darling River in different ways, in different 'countries', by different groups.