This is a brief introduction to interpretation signs you will come across along the Goldfields Track in Victoria. Over seventy interpretation signs have been developed with Traditional Owners (Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung) as part of a project funded by Regional Development Victoria. Around half of the signs have been installed along the four sections of the track: Leanganook, Dry Diggings, Wallaby and Eureka. You will find clusters of installed signs at five Visitor Nodes (with shelters and seating):

• Emu Creek (Bryden Road, Sedgwick)
• Liyanganyuk Banyul (Leanganook Camping Area)
• Wombat Station Shelter (near Barkstead)
• Nuggetty Dam (Nerrina Heritage Area)
• Bonan Youang (Mt Buninyong)

And another cluster of signs (and seat) where the track crosses Porcupine Ridge Road in the Dry Diggings Heritage Park. Other signs are dispersed at key locations along the Track.

All the signs produced for the interpretation project are shown here, according to which of the six interpretation themes they relate to.

The Goldfields Track highlights Victoria’s gold rush history, diverse geological features, and native flora and fauna while passing through culturally significant lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people. The Intepretation project was developed in partnership with various stakeholders, including Traditional Owners, local community groups, the Goldfields Track Committee, Great Dividing Trail Association, government agencies and local councils.

MOVEMENT

This theme explores different ways people and forces have come together over time. It spans from the shifting of tectonic plates and Bundjil the Creator’s shaping of the land, to trade routes like the Loddon River and the arrival of squatters and gold miners. While these historic places tell important stories, they all share a common underlying theme: the dispossession of Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people and the desecration of their culture.

SEASONS

The three signs in this theme emphasize the deep connection between people and the natural rhythms of the earth. They encourage travellers to slow down and attune themselves to the bush, fostering a richer understanding of time’s passage. One sign introduces the six seasons recognized by the local Traditional Owners—each marked by significant annual events: the times for lightning, black duck, boomerang, kangaroo, mallee fowl, and cod.

COUNTRY

Through art, design, and language, the signs in this theme interpret elements of Country—such as ‘mirrip’ (body/spirit), wildlife, plants, and geology—many of which can be seen along the track. Together, they tell a story that stretches back thousands of generations and continues today. Each sign poses a question: As custodians of the places we live and visit, what is our own connection to Country?

KNOWING

These signs highlight the importance of understanding both the spiritual and physical worlds of the track’s Traditional Owners. They also acknowledge the impact of colonization, which disrupted this knowledge—but did not erase it. Today, traditional wisdom endures as a powerful guiding system for families and communities.

INGENUITY

The overarching insight of this theme is the resourcefulness of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung peoples in their use of natural materials—water, stone, and timber—over time. Some signs also illustrate how these same resources were later repurposed by gold miners, sawmillers, and water authorities. One sign focuses on the Coliban Water Main Channel, explaining its purpose in water management and why the Dja Dja Wurrung refer to it as ‘wrong-way water.’

GATHERING

This theme explores the power of bringing people together through shared stories and places. It highlights how Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung communities are reclaiming their language and cultural practices while forming partnerships to heal Country. One sign emphasizes the deep significance of ceremony in First Nations traditions.