Grave of Yuranigh

Item details


Name of item:	Grave of Yuranigh
Other name/s:	Yuranigh's grave
Type of item:	Archaeological-Terrestrial
Group/Collection:	Aboriginal
Category:	Burial
Location:	Lat: -33.1219956056 Long: 148.8826805080
Primary address:	3km SE of Molong Yuranigh Road, Molong, NSW 2866
Local govt. area:	Cabonne
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Orange

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	278		DP	750170
LOT	2		DP	845407

Boundary:

About 0.5ha, Yuranigh Road, 3.5km south-south-east of Molong, Portion 278 Parish Molong

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
3km SE of Molong Yuranigh Road	Molong	Cabonne			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	Yuranigh's grave is an excellent example of 'culture contact'. The presence of carved trees around the grave demonstrates commemoration by Aboriginal people. While the inscribed headstone indicates the 'honour' bestowed on Yuranigh by Major Mitchell, to whom he acted as a guide on his famous last north west exploratory adventure. The carved trees are also, as far as is known, the longest remaining number of carved trees around a grave.
	Date significance updated: 07 Dec 01
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Construction years:	1852-1852
Physical description:	The grave is marked by a headstone, which pays tribute to Yuranigh's courage, honesty and fidelity. Marking the corners of the burial ground are four carved trees which like the grave, have been fenced for their protection. One of the trees is dead, and the carving on it very distinct. The other trees are alive and the carvings obscured to varying degrees as a result of regrowth. Yuranigh was one of T L Mitchell's guide, who died between 1847 and 1852. The grave apparently had five trees in 1854. In 1852 New South Wales Government paid for memorial headstone for the grave which is still here. Best preserved burial site in region. The grave consists of a marble headstone with a inscription. Grave itself is set in a concrete slab with a sandstone slab in the concrete. Sandstone slab has another inscription. Grave faces south-west and is surrounded by a white wooden fence with chicken wire netting. Dimensions of fence; 3.2m x 3.6m


Current use:	grave site and memorial
Former use:	Aboriginal land, grave site and memorial

History

Historical notes:

Yuranigh, originally from Boree, accompanied the explorer T.L Mitchell on his fourth and final journey to the north-west of Australia. This venture finished approximately 161km west of Mackay in Queensland. A party of 29 white men and three Aborigines, one of whom was Yuranigh, departed from Boree on this journey on 15 December 1845, with equipment consisting of eight drays, 80 bullocks, two boats, three light carts, and enough provisions for a year. As the party progressed Yuranigh became increasingly helpful to Mitchell for which Mitchell was extremely appreciative. Yuranigh's main contribution lay in his ability to appease other Aborigines, through whose territory they passes, and in his extensive bush lore, with which he advised Mitchell. In his journal Mitchell described Yuranigh as his 'guide, companion, counsellor and friend'.

On the completion of the exploratory journey Yuranigh accompanied Mitchell to Mitchell's Sydney home, but not liking the city, Yuranigh soon left to become a stockman on a northern cattle station.

On 13 July 1850 Mitchell learnt of the death of Yuranigh at the old Gamboola Station, near Molong. According to their custom, the Aborigines buried Yuranigh there, marking his grave with four carved trees. According to early settlers, it was common practice for Aborigines to carve the trees around the grave of an Aborigine of distinction or repute. All the carvings were cut to face Yuranigh's grave. Of the four trees, only on one, which is now dead, can the carvings be clearly seen. The carvings on the other trees must almost have been covered by regrowth. The distinguishable carving is an ovate spiral surrounded by a triple extended S-pattern on one side.

The grave of the Aborigine, Yuranigh, has been marked with signs of respect by both Aborigines and Europeans. The grave has around its perimeter four carved trees, a sign by Aborigines that the buried person was worthy of special credit. A fence and a memorial stone in the European tradition was also erected.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Other open space-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Cultural: Conserving and protecting natural features-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Cultural: Plains and plateaux supporting human activities-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	Wiradjuri Nation - marking places of burial-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	All nations - reconciliation events-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	Aboriginal Culture-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Events-Activities and processes that mark the consequences of natural and cultural occurences	Developing local landmarks-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Exploration-Activities associated with making places previously unknown to a cultural group known to them.	Guiding the explorers-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Exploration-Activities associated with making places previously unknown to a cultural group known to them.	Routes taken by Surveyor Thomas Mitchell-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Exploration-Activities associated with making places previously unknown to a cultural group known to them.	Exploring and surveying for the Crown-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Colonial government-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	State government-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Birth and Death-Activities associated with the initial stages of human life and the bearing of children, and with the final stages of human life and disposal of the dead.	Burying and remembering notable persons-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Yuranigh, explorer's guide-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell, Surveyor-General-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Yuranigh's Grave is of state significance for its associations with the exploration of inland Australia, and particularly for its ability to evidence significant, positive contacts between Aboriginal and non Aboriginal people during the colonial period.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	Yuranigh's Grave is of state significance for its associations with the significant person surveyor Major Thomas Mitchell and guide Yuranigh, as well as associations with the Wiradjuri people of the Central West of NSW.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Yuranigh's Grave has landmark qualities within a rural landscape by its arrangement of carved trees around a marked grave, making it aesthetically distinctive in both its local context and within the context of known contact-era graves of Aboriginal people.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	Yuranigh's Grave is significance for the sense of community and place it affirms in the Wiradjuri communities of the Molong area and the Central West region.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	Yuranigh's Grave is of state significance as an important reference site for burial of Aboriginal people that have been honoured and commemorated by both Aboriginal and non Aboriginal communities for nearly 150 years, and because it provides evidence of bi-cultural (Wiradjuri and English) attitudes to death and remembrance that are relatively rare in NSW.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	Yuranigh's Grave is rare and is state significance for its evidence of the now defunct custom of carving living trees adjacent to grave sites, as the only known example of a grave exhibiting Aboriginal and European burial markers known in NSW, for its ability to demonstrate designs and techniques in tree carving, and for its ability to show rare evidence of the activity of marking graves and remembering persons important in Wiradjuri and non Aboriginal communities.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Yuranigh's Grave is of state significance as a fine example (the only known example) of its type as a grave demonstrating bi-cultural respect for an important man, and for its attributes evidencing a way of life and the customs of both the Wiradjuri people of the Central West and of the settlers in the colonial period.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		01713	10 Mar 06	32	1349
Potential Heritage Item	A		17 Aug 01

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Central West Pilot Program SHRP	2001		Heritage Office SHRP		Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Tourism	Central NSW	2007	Grave of Yuranigh	View detail
Tourism	National Parks and Wildlife Service	2007	Grave of Yuranigh	View detail
Written	NSW Heritage Office	2004	New Aboriginal places nominated to the State Heritage Register 20/1/04
Written	NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service	1999	Yuranighs aboriginal grave historic site plan of management

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5051559

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