Dumbleyung’s historic Town Hall will spring to life with the Dumbleyung Bushfood Dinner on Saturday, September 26.

Hosted by Wuddi Aboriginal Cultural Tours & Gallery in partnership with Gather Foods, the evening includes a specially curated feast featuring native ingredients, locally sourced bushfoods and stories stretching back thousands of years.

Long before Dumbleyung became the Wheatbelt town it is today, it was a special place for the Noongar people, shaped by seasonal hunting and gathering, native foods and the enormous lake that gave Dumbleyung its name.

The name is believed to come from the Noongar word ‘Dambeling’, meaning ‘large lake’ or inland sea. The lake and surrounding waterways provided water, fish, and djilgi (yabbies) and abundant birdlife, including weitj (emu) and black swans.

With food and water in abundance, the area became an important gathering place where people came together for ceremony, lore, trade and family connections.

“From Dambeling’s ancient lake country to the long tables of today, native food has always carried a significant story here,” said Grant Riley, who, together with his wife Anne, owns and manages Wuddi Aboriginal Cultural Tours & Gallery. “We’ve all got a story to tell, and our cultural stories need to be shared far and wide with visitors from Australia and around the world.”

“The lake has brought people together for thousands of years. This September, Dumbleyung is doing it again, only this time threading ancient and modern food knowledge into one great mouthwatering feast.”

Some of the menu delicacies include quandongs, freshwater yabbies, succulent lamb and sustainably sourced kangaroo.

The event is just one of many that make up the annual Bloom Festival, which takes over the Great Southern region, celebrating ‘everything that blooms’ from Saturday, September 12, to Sunday, October 11.

The Dumbleyung Bushfood Dinner takes place at Dumbleyung Town Hall on Saturday, September 26, 2026. To book your seat, go to humanitix.com