What are Aboriginal Songlines?

Often referred to as ‘Dreaming Tracks’, Songlines are a vital way of passing down cultural knowledge in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. They are part of a rich oral tradition deeply connected to the land — a kind of living "memory code" woven into song, story, and Country.

Each song within a songline is a part of a much larger narrative. Together, these songs form intricate maps that can stretch across vast distances — sometimes spanning hundreds or even thousands of kilometres. Along these paths, songs share knowledge about the land, sacred places, plants, animals, ancestors, and the laws of living.

Songlines are not just cultural stories — they are also practical guides. Many of them align with traditional trading routes and were likely used for navigation across Country. By following a songline, people could travel long distances while remaining connected to their cultural teachings, sacred sites, and ancestral stories.

One remarkable example is a 3,500-kilometre Songline that connects the central desert with the eastern coastline (modern-day Byron Bay). This ancient route allowed desert communities to reach the ocean, where they could observe how coastal people worked with dolphins to herd fish. Likewise, coastal people could journey inland to visit sacred desert sites such as Uluru and Kata Tjuta, deepening cultural connections across vast regions.

“When you look at those sorts of stories, you see the connectivity between all of the elements — between the sky, between the Earth, between the water, between magnificent sacred sites that are in the landscape — that connect our people through this ancient wisdom and these ancient stories in song.”
— Dr Anne Poelina, Nyikina Warrwa

Songlines reflect a holistic worldview where land, people, and spirit are intertwined. They continue to be a profound source of identity, belonging, and knowledge for First Nations peoples — and a powerful example of how culture, science, and geography can come together in deeply meaningful ways.