Hema Australia Indigenous Journeys Map

Indigenous Journeys Map grew from a conversation between Hema Maps and Australian geologist-explorer, James Allen, who has worked with indigenous communities around the world. On the back of extensive field trips across Australia (2020-2024), James felt privileged to listen to – and learn from – Traditional Owners. This uniquely comprehensive map captures their voices, paying homage to an oral history that charts trade routes and pathways, Songlines of ancient ancestral spirits.

Explore the Songlines of the World’s Oldest Living Culture

For more than 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples — Australia’s Traditional Owners — have walked the land, forging trade routes, sharing knowledge and caring for Country. The Indigenous Journeys Map honours these enduring connections with Country through a detailed, respectful and uniquely comprehensive representation of ancient trade routes, cultural pathways and songlines.

Detailed Trade Routes & Pathways

• Follow the routes shaped by trade, ceremony, kinship and seasonal patterns across the continent — some extending thousands of kilometres, guided by waterholes, gathering places and creation stories.
• Indigenous Cultural/Art Centres
• Continue your learning journey with Aboriginal experience centres marked on the map.
• Traded Goods & Cultural Exchange
• Learn about the vast array of resources traded — from ochre, shells and stone tools to ceremonial goods and native plants — and the vibrant networks that made it possible.
• 250+ Indigenous Language Groups
• Presented with cultural sensitivity and acknowledgment of AIATSIS sources, these names highlight the diversity and complexity of Indigenous Australia before colonisation.
• Authentic Landscape View
• See how the Australian landscape may have appeared when it was solely inhabited by Indigenous Peoples, including traditional names for key places.

A Collaborative Cultural Resource

Born from the collaboration between Hema Maps and geologist/explorer James Allen, this map was created with insights gathered during extensive travels across the continent (2020–24). It reflects guidance from Traditional Owners and cartographic expertise from Gunditjmara man, Craig Molyneux. We also acknowledge Shelley Thomas for her work coordinating the multiple stakeholders associated with this project.

Perfect For:

Outdoor adventurers and travellers seeking deeper cultural connection
Educators and students exploring Indigenous culture and geography
Families wanting to foster awareness and respect for Australia’s First Nations cultures
Gift shoppers looking for a meaningful and educational present

Hema Maps acknowledges all Traditional Owners and Elders, past and present, and is committed to best practices for the protection of Indigenous cultural and intellectual property.

• Edition: 1st
• Publication Date: 01/07/2025
• Scale: 1:5,500,000
• Folded Size (WxHxD): 145mm x 250mm x 3mm
• Flat Size (WxH): 1000mm x 875mm
• Weight: 0.09 kg
• Format: Folded Map