Reconciliation Circle

Recognising that everything is connected, the Reconciliation Circle is a place for the community to come together and celebrate the oldest living culture. It is a place of learning, understanding and sharing knowledge. 

The Reconciliation Circle is situated between the Community Nursery (Native Food Garden) and the Sensory Garden. A large Blue Gum provides a visual background, and large logs and rocks provide seating around a removable fireplace. 

At the front of the circle, a garden in the shape of a snake provides a visual barrier and connection to one of the main animals represented in Aboriginal story telling. It is a meeting place for the community. 

• Providing a space for people to celebrate Reconciliation Day
• Providing a space for larger groups to gather
• A conversation starter to educate visitors about Aboriginal culture and the Ngadjuri Nation

In 2014 a large gum tree fell down near the Bushgardens. With the help of The Barossa Council's depot team, the tree was cut into pieces, brought to the gardens and set up in a semicircle. A few large boulders were also added. 

A snake garden was planted with native grasses, lilies and small herbaceous plants as well as a Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata) in 2020 in lieu of a Reconciliation Week event. At the 2024 and 2025 Reconciliation Day events, the grasses in the snake were burned  by a Peramangk representative to demonstrate the healing of country with fire. 

Events in this area are regularly organised in collaboration with Reconciliation Barossa. 

The Reconciliation Circle represents a place of connection for people to learn about Aboriginal culture, especially the Ngadjuri. The circle and its purpose are described during visitor tours and can build a connection to the repatriation site, situated behind the Dementia Friendly Community Garden, where Ngadjuri ancestral remains were buried in 2022. The remains were uncovered during works in Rowland Flat and repatriated at the Barossa Bushgardens.