Aboriginal significance Gulaga is the place of ancestral origin within the mythology of the
Yuin people, the Aboriginal people of the area. Gulaga itself symbolises the mother and provides a basis for Aboriginal spiritual identity; the mountain as well as the surrounding area holds particular significance for Aboriginal women. For the Yuin people it is seen as a place of cultural origin. The mountain is regarded as a symbolic mother-figure providing the basis for the people's spiritual identity. Gulaga, the mother, has two sons:
Barunguba, also known as Montague Island, and Najanuka, named Little Dromedary by Europeans. The story tells that her second son was not allow to go far from home, as his elder brother did, and that Gulaga can see both of her sons in the distance.
European discovery and mining The first Europeans to sight the mountain were the crew of
Captain Cook's ship,
HMS Endeavour on 21 April 1770.
Endeavour passed the mountain at a distance of offshore. Cook named it "Mount Dromedary", as its figure reminded him of the hump of a camel. In the mid-1800s Mount Dromedary, became a prominent site of
gold mining. Rev. W.B. Clarke first found traces of
alluvium gold in Dignams Creek in 1852. Gold mining then became a common activity in the area. A significant amount of gold was found in deposits along streams coming from Gulaga's slopes. Between 1878 and 1920 approximately of gold was found in its slopes. Near the crest of Gulaga, reefs were discovered in 1877 that allowed for gold mineralisation. These
pyrite-rich veins, ranging in size from , were mined by the Mount Dromedary Gold Mining Company mainly between 1878 and 1910. The agreement also included
Biamanga National Park, which incorporates Mumbulla Mountain, the "men's mountain". The mountain was officially assigned the
dual names of Gulaga and Mount Dromedary on 30 November 2021. Signage would place Gulaga first and the European name underneath it, reflecting the importance of the
Dhurga language, history and traditions. At the same time, Little Dromedary Mountain was dual-named Najanuka / Little Dromedary Mountain, and the island
Barunguba / Montague Island. ==Geology==