A stirring and well-curated cultural exhibition space, Krowathunkooloong Keeping Place offers a fascinating insight into the history and traditions of the Gunai and Kurnai nation and its five clans, who've lived in the East Gippsland region for well over 30,000 years. The exhibition traces the Gunai and Kurnai from their Dreaming ancestors, Borun the pelican and his wife, Tuk the musk duck, and features an impressive display of original artefacts and traditional cultural items, including canoes, boomerangs and contemporary Aboriginal art.
It also covers life and hardships following European colonisation, including the massacres of the Kurnai from 1839 to 1849, and the Lake Tyers Mission, east of Lakes Entrance, now a trust privately owned by Aboriginal shareholders.
To avoid disappointment, call a day in advance; that way, if they're closed they can arrange someone to let you in.
The Bataluk Cultural Trail is a must for those seeking further engagement with the traditions and culture of the Gunai and Kurnai.
The museum is on the site of a historical Gunai and Kurnai campground, and today forms the Gippsland & East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative (GEGAC), which offers a medical centre, and education, employment and housing services to the local Indigenous community.
