Worimi

The Worimi people The Worimi people are the Traditional Owners of a large area of coastal country north of Newcastle, stretching from the Hunter River to the Manning River and inland to the Barrington Tops. Their country includes Port Stephens, the Great Lakes, and the spectacular Stockton Bight sand dunes — the largest moving coastal sand dunes in the southern hemisphere, which hold deep cultural significance. Worimi country encompasses a rich variety of environments: ocean beaches, estuaries, coastal lakes, wetlands, forests, and mountain ranges. These diverse landscapes provided abundant resources and sustained a complex society with deep seasonal knowledge. The Stockton Bight dunes contain thousands of archaeological sites, including middens and stone tool scatters, providing evidence of continuous occupation stretching back many thousands of years. Today, the Worimi people are actively involved in land management and cultural heritage protection across their traditional lands. The Worimi Conservation Lands, co-managed with the NSW Government, protect a significant stretch of the Stockton Bight dunes and provide cultural tourism experiences. Worimi language and cultural practices continue to be maintained and shared through community organisations and education programs.