About

At Sandhills Artefacts, you'll discover the artistry behind handcrafted Wiradjuri Aboriginal cultural items. Michael Lyons, inspired by his father’s expertise in crafting boomerangs for hunting, carries on the tradition of creating boomerangs, didgeridoos, coolamons and other artefacts using earthy colours and traditional designs. In his workshop, Michael welcomes visitors to witness the transformation of raw wood into works of art. Watch as he carefully soaks, debarks, and hollows the wood, sanding, polishing, and painting each piece. Michael is also a talented didgeridoo player, often sharing music with visitors.

Across the road, Michael has created the Wiradjuri Cultural Centre, a Keeping Place for traditional tools and artefacts of the Wiradjuri people. Here, you’ll find everything from winter and summer humpies, grinding stones and hunting boomerangs to fire-starting stones, message sticks and emu eggs. You can also see kangaroo skins transformed into rugs and other fascinating pieces of cultural history.

As a proud descendant of the Wiradjuri nation, Michael leads cultural tours through his traditional country, sharing his knowledge of bush foods, bush medicines and survival skills. Along the way, you might encounter a goanna tree carving or discover a scar tree where a coolamon was made from the bark. Michael might also take you to the river to explore nature’s supermarket, where you watch him retrieve a witchetty grub, or check into the “Hilton”, a massive 500-year-old tree used for shelter.

You can also join one of Michael’s hands-on cultural days to learn about the Wiradjuri people through storytelling, traditional bush tucker and the soulful sounds of the didgeridoo. Bookings essential.

Address

16 Bamblett St, Narrandera NSW 2700