Brumby Heritage

Brumbies are an integral part of Australia’s social history and hold important cultural and heritage value.

Each Brumby population area across Australia and overseas is unique in that they can be traced back to their original founding stock through social history and genetics, and have evolved and adapted to the seasonal extremes of the locations where they are found

• The ancestors of today’s Brumbies arrived with the First Fleets to Australia and were valued as an essential and versatile work horse. 
• Ancestors of the modern-day Brumbies served during the Boer War and the two World Wars.  
• Brumbies have become iconic to Australia, for example, the naming of rugby teams, army units, on paper currency and of course the film The Man From Snowy River which celebrated the heritage of Brumbies in Australia.  They also featured at the opening of the Sydney Olympics viewed by people from all over the world. 
• Brumbies bring tourists to each area they are found with many local horse and adventure trail operators dependent on Brumbies remaining in the wild. 
• The Australia ICOMOS 2013 Burra Charter explains that cultural significance enriches people’s lives, providing a deep, inspirational sense of connection to community and landscape, and to past lived experiences.  Cultural significance embodies expressions of identity and experience, reflects the diversity of communities, tells us about who we are, the past that formed us, our landscape and that they are irreplaceable and precious. 

Wild Horses represent living heritage values but tragically, they face mounting pressure to be removed from many parts of Australia, and in Victoria they face imminent, complete extinction.

This must not happen. The following information will help inform the general public, and in turn the government, environmentalists and park managers, of WHY it is vital to retain Wild Horse populations in sustainable numbers for future generations to see and value.