The NSW Government has declared Borah Crossing near Gunnedah and Manilla an Aboriginal Place, recognising its deep cultural, spiritual and historical significance to Gamilaroi people and honouring generations of families who have maintained their connection to this culturally rich landscape.
Located along both sides of the Namoi River, the newly declared Aboriginal Place includes former meeting places, ceremonial grounds, burial sites, cultural scarred trees, campsites and bora rings. These features provide evidence of continuous Aboriginal use over many generations.
Borah Crossing has long been a place where Gamilaroi custodians and family groups gathered, lived, conducted ceremony, shared knowledge and raised their children. Many families still living in the region today have ancestors buried in the area and maintain strong ties to the site.
Under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, the Aboriginal Place declaration provides legal protection to ensure Borah Crossing's cultural values are preserved for future generations.
The area will continue to be accessible to the public for passive recreation such as camping, swimming, fishing and birdwatching, with grazing and dam operations continuing under existing arrangements.
The NSW Government will work with the Yawiriawiri Murri Ganuur Descendants Aboriginal Corporation, other Gamilaroi families, the Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council, the Red Chief Local Aboriginal Land Council and land managers to develop a management plan that reflects cultural priorities and protects the site's heritage values.
Heritage NSW Executive Director Sam Kidman said:
"Borah Crossing is a place of profound cultural significance for Gamilaroi people.
"Recognising and protecting this landscape honours their enduring connection to Country and ensures these stories, places and histories will continue to be shared with future generations.
"The NSW Government is committed to protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage and celebrating places that hold deep meaning for communities across the state."
Uncle Greg Griffiths, Bulingha Murri Ganuur, Guyinbaraay/Guinberai clan of the Gomeroi/Gamilaroi Aboriginal peoples, said:
"We, the descendants of Yawirawiri Murri Ganuur and other family groups who were recorded at contact with first settlers and explorers, are overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude for the Aboriginal Place registration for Borah Crossing.
"We have ancestors who were born there, resided there and are buried there. My father always said to me, 'Son, don't ever forget Borah Crossing.' Now we have it registered which makes me feel that we have fulfilled a legacy and respected our ancestral wishes and memory."
Uncle Peter White, Gamilaroi Murri and family descendant, said:
"The listing of Borah Crossing as an Aboriginal Place is profoundly important - not only for my family, but for the wider kinship ties that connect Gamilaroi families to this sacred site.
"I still remember my father first taking me there, and from that moment the deep, unbroken connection across generations became central to my identity as a Gamilaroi Murri.
"This recognition means those ties will endure, ensuring our children and grandchildren inherit a strong Country, a strong culture, and strong families for generations to come. For us, it is nothing less than securing our cultural future."
