Booderee is Aboriginal land. Parks Australia works hand in hand with the Traditional Owners to manage Booderee, using a mix of traditional ways and modern science.
Booderee, in the Dhurga language of the region, means ‘bay of plenty’. It is a Koori-owned place. Koori people are born of the land and have lived off the land forever. Booderee is the home and spirit of the Wreck Bay people and holds much evidence of the Traditional Owners’ ancestry.
More than 100 prehistoric Aboriginal sites have been recorded on the Bherwerre Peninsula, some probably dating back to the stabilisation of the sea level about 6,000 years ago. Most sites are shell middens, but there are also rock shelters, burial sites, ceremonial grounds, stone-flaking sites and axe-sharpening grooves.
The Park is bordered by the waters of Jervis Bay and is set amongst coastal bushland. The local environment consists of sandstone cliffs, remote beaches and bushland. It is a wild and ancient landscape.
During school holidays the park provides an excellent program of free activities to introduce visitors to the culture and traditions at Booderee, and to immerse them in the natural environment. Throughout the year, local Traditional Owners of the park and Wreck Bay community members run guided tours for visitors to learn about the local culture and history of Booderee Country.
