Meaning of Bora

A Bora is the name both to an initiation ceremony and to the site on which the initiation is performed. At such a site, boys achieve the status of men. The ceremony, and the process leading up to it, involves the learning of sacred songs, stories, dances, and traditional lore.

Women are generally prohibited from entering a bora.

Bora rings  comprise circles of foot-hardened earth surrounded by raised embankments. They were generally constructed in pairs although some sites have three. The rings are joined by a sacred walkway. Sometimes the boys would have to pass along a path marked on the ground representing the transition from childhood to manhood, and this path might be marked by a stone arrangement or by footsteps.

The Bora Ring above at Tucki Tucki photographed by Jeff Licence.

This Bora Ring, nestled in the back area of the Tucki Tucki cemetery, is considered one of the finest examples of semi intact Bora Rings remaining in Australia.

The Bora Ring was last used in the 1800s and is located 15 kilometres south of Lismore on Wyrallah Road.