Lake Victoria – A special place

Fascinating Aboriginal and Military History

Lake Victoria is a fascinating place that embodies both Aboriginal and military history in addition to being a major water source for people in New South Wales, Victoria and other major towns and cities throughout South Australia.

It is an important cultural heritage site for the Aboriginal community and an indispensable environmental resource for a major part of the health of the Murray River, its plants, animals and ecosystems.

In 1994 when the lake level was lowered for maintenance, a wealth of Aboriginal history was discovered. Artefacts such as camp sites, stone tools, grindstones, shell middens and hearths etc along with extensive aboriginal burial sites were uncovered. It was estimated that up to three or four thousand individual graves existed in the large burial grounds.

The significant number of remains provided evidence that dense populations of Aboriginal people had lived around the lake for many thousands of years.

During World War 2, Lake Victoria was used as a training ground for the RAAF’s 2 Operational Training Unit. 6 fatalities resulted from these activities and to this day two airmen and their aircraft remain missing in the lake bed.

For visitors to Lake Victoria there is a viewing point from which to overlook the magnificent lake.

Note: The road to Lake Victoria from Wentworth and Renmark is mostly unsealed and remote. Please prepare for this journey.