Our culture and people

Minyumai IPA is owned and managed by the Bandjalang community in accordance with Bandjalang Laws and Customs and through the sharing and learning from our collective traditional knowledge which continues to strengthen and evolve. 

Our people, our strength

  • The leadership of our elders

    Ngujung Lawrence Wilson fought for the buyback of this land in 1999 and its eventual declaration as an Indigenous Protected Area. His vision was to protect, preserve, and restore Minyumai — not only for its unique flora and fauna, but for future generations of Bandjalang people.

  • Minjehla education trail

    In 2004 the Minjehla education trail was officially opened. Minjehla is a place of high cultural signficance to the Bandjalang people. This image is of Aunty Simone and Aunty Bonnie when the track was opened.

  • Indigenous protected area declaration

    Minyumai was declared an Indigenous Protected area in 2011. Minyumai is one of 91 Indigenous Protected Areas across the continent, accounting for 2000 hectares of the 104 million hectares of land protected and cared for by cultural custodians through the Indigneous ranger program.

our Language

​Minyumai rangers work with Bandjalang Elders to incorporate language into all that we do.  Aunty Simone runs a junior ranger program to teach students about language and culture.

Keeping our language alive is an important part of passing down our Bandjalang culture to the next generation.