Known as the Golden Hole, the Clybucca-Stuarts Point midden complex adjoins the Yarrahapinni wetlands and is part of the Clybucca historic site.

It is the largest estuarine midden in the temperate area of Australia. A midden is a dumping area for domestic refuse often consisting of bone, shells and other food waste.

The Clybucca-Stuarts Point midden runs almost continuously for a distance of 14km and is renowned for its extensive, diverse and well preserved midden deposits which provide a valuable insight into continuous coastal occupation by Aboriginal people.

It is unique in that it contains rich, variable and well-preserved shell and bone remains dating from about 2500 years ago to about 6000 years ago.

There are very few middens in coastal NSW that contain preserved shell or bone older than about 3000 years.

Also, the Clybucca midden is distinct in that it contains a diversity of archaeological contents including shell species, as well as fish and land animal bone.

Archaeologists have dated initial Aboriginal occupation of this historic site at about 6000 to 9000 years ago.

At this time the sea was several kilometres inland from its current location, the subsequent fall in sea level created the existing coastline and estuaries.

Middens also demonstrate the history and complexity of traditional Aboriginal coastal and estuarine life, and are a valuable reference base for comparative studies of other occupation sites.

They also form part of a mythological-spiritual landscape with high cultural significance to present day Aboriginal peoples on the Mid North Coast.

This particular site was also a popular meeting place for the Gumbaynggirr and Dunghutti people.

The Clybucca historic site was created in 1979 and covers an area of 479ha. It is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of NSW.