Heritage and Culture

From ancient to contemporary, from spooky to lifesaving, you’ll discover fascinating heritage and cultural attractions in Dubbo and the Great Western Plains. There are Aboriginal rock carvings, wonderful galleries and museums, the eerie Old Dubbo Gaol, Australia’s oldest timber slab homestead and more.

Begin your discovery on the Dubbo Heritage Walk and stop by the Old Dubbo Gaol, which opened in 1847 and closed in 1966. Now a museum, the gaol houses Australia’s largest collection of hangman’s knots. There are enthralling theatrical performances and guided tours, including spooky night tours during school holidays.

Western Plains Cultural Centre, a state-of-the-art facility boasting a gallery, museum and modern café, is Dubbo's creative soul. The Centre offers a rich program of high quality exhibitions and installations by local and visiting artists.

Uncover the City’s history and view Australia’s largest and best preserved wool wagon. A carved tree, an object of great cultural significance to the local Aboriginal people and rarely seen by outsiders, is also on display.

Discover Dubbo's pioneer history at the early 1840s Dundullimal Homestead, a National Trust building. Enjoy picturesque gardens, expedience a guided tour or take a break at the art gallery and café.

Take a guided Aboriginal tour with Peter from First Lesson Cultural Tours, to the Terramungamine Rock Grooves, 150 grinding grooves created over thousands of years by Tubbagah Aboriginal people shaping their tools and sharpening their spears on a hundred metres of rock. The reserve is only a short drive north of the town centre.

You’ll find more amazing cultural points of interest on scenic drives, such as the Garling Gallery in nearby Wongarbon. Brett ‘Mon’ Garling is one of Australia’s leader figurative sculptors and you can see first-hand how he creates his intricate bronze sculptures and wander in his sculpture garden.

North of Dubbo are the charming historic towns of Warren and Gilgandra. You can explore Warren on a free heritage walking tour with local historians. At the Coo-ee Heritage Centre in Gilgandra you’ll find out about the iconic bush call used on the first Australian recruiting march of World War I.

More extraordinary experiences await you. Visit the Flying Doctors’ visitor centre in Dubbo and learn about the largest aeromedical service in the world. In Narromine, west of Dubbo, is the compelling Narromine Aviation Museum at the aerodrome where nearly 3,000 World War II pilots trained.