If you’ve ever wondered how you can make a positive difference to the lives of Aboriginal people in the NT, this is an easy way. By staying the park and shopping at the store you are supporting the local Aboriginal people and providing income and opportunity.
Wirib Store and Tourism Park in Timber Creek is owned by the Gunamu Aboriginal Corporation made up of local Aboriginal leaders and Traditional Owners from the Timber Creek region.
There are a few caravan parks in Timber Creek (it gets busy in the dry season!) but keep an eye out for the Wirib Store and Tourism Park, and rest easy that your tourist dollars have been well spent. Look for the gorgeous mural which depicts the dingo dreaming sacred site.
The park is a significant site for ceremony and stories from the past. Fishing was common on the banks as people moved around to catch freshwater and saltwater fish. If you head down to the back of the park and sit on the banks of the creek, it’s easy to think back to a time when the people walked up and down the banks hunting and fishing.
“Along here it used to be a fishing place, people used to travel up and collect freshwater fish and go back to the saltwater. The Victoria River only runs about 10km upstream where is meets the fresh water. When you drive west you will see the hill over the back that runs right down to the Victoria River”
Lorriane Jones, Chair of the Gunamu Aboriginal Corporation.
Timber Creek has rich and diverse cultural heritage with nine languages spoken by local clans. The most common languages are Ngaliwurru, Ngarinyman, Creole (a mix of Aboriginal language and English) and English.
The Ngaliwurru and Nungali Aboriginal people are the original inhabitants and Traditional Owners of the lands surrounding the town.