Aboriginal ownership of national parks celebrated at cultural festival

Aunty Ros Field says the handback was a moment of truth, recognition and justice for Aboriginal people. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)

It has been two decades since the Biamanga and Gulaga National Parks were handed back to traditional owners.

The land, which includes two mountains between Bega and Narooma, is considered sacred to the Yuin people.

The 20-year anniversary was celebrated in Tilba during Reconciliation Week.

Indigenous resilience and survival are at the forefront of a festival on the NSW south coast, celebrating the landmark return of national parks to the local Aboriginal people.

The Biamanga and Gulaga National Parks, between Bega and Narooma, were handed back to the Yuin people in 2006.

The land is sacred to the traditional owners, as are the Gulaga and Biamanga mountains within it.

Hundreds of people gathered at Tilba on Saturday, at the foothills of Gulaga, to celebrate two decades since the handback.

Hundreds of people gathered in Tilba, below Gulaga mountain, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the handback. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)

Walbunja woman, Aunty Roslyn Field said the handback marked "the return of what was always ours".

"This is not just an anniversary; it's a living reminder of who we are, where we come from, and the strength of our ancestors," she said during her address to the festival.

It holds the spirit of creation and is where Aboriginal women would retreat for storytelling, ceremony and childbirth.

Biamanga is a traditional men's place and contains initiation sites where boys would become men.

The cultural festival at Tilba, celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the handback, began with a smoking ceremony. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)

Aunty Ros is the chair of the Gulaga Board of Management, which alongside the Biamanga board, has been managing the parks in partnership with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for 20 years.

She said it was important to pay respect to the elders who fought to have the land returned to the Yuin people, and the legacy it held for the youth.

"The handback was never just about being for one generation; it was always about those who would come after us," she said.

Djinama Yilaga Choir performed several songs at the anniversary event. (ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)

The Biamanga and Gulaga National Parks were proclaimed in 1994 and 2001, respectively.

Guboo Ted Thomas, Percy Mumbulla and other elders led a major land rights campaign to have the parks returned to Yuin hands.

In May 2006, Biamanga and Gulaga National Parks were h