For over 40,000 years prior to the arrival of European colonists, 30 nations or clans of Aboriginal people lived in what is now the state of Victoria. Their rich tribal culture developed through intricate social systems and a profound connection to the land. For Aboriginal people, including those in highly urbanised communities, land is central to their identities, their heritage and their spiritual existence. The significance of the land is intimately bound in the spirituality surrounding the origins of the landscape, animals, plants and people that inhabit them.

From the ancestral beings of the Dreaming to the rise of political movements in contemporary society, Victoria is home to Aboriginal people with dynamic histories, beliefs and practices.