Borah Crossing near Gunnedah has been declared an Aboriginal Place, formally recognising generations of Gamilaroi cultural connection to the area along the Namoi River.

The declaration, announced by the New South Wales Government this week, gives legal protection to the site under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.

Located between Gunnedah and Manilla, the area contains ceremonial grounds, bora rings, burial sites, scarred trees and campsites, providing evidence of long-standing Aboriginal use across many generations.

Gamilaroi families say Borah Crossing has long been a place where ancestors gathered, lived, raised children and conducted ceremonies, with many descendants still maintaining strong cultural ties to the site today.

Under the declaration, the area will remain open to the public for activities such as camping, swimming, fishing and birdwatching, while existing grazing and dam operations will continue.

Uncle Greg Griffiths, of the Guyinbaraay/Guinberai clan of the Gomeroi/Gamilaroi people, said the declaration carried deep meaning for descendants connected to the site.

"We have ancestors who were born there, resided there and are buried there," Uncle Greg said.

"My father always said to me, 'Son don't ever forget Borah Crossing.' Now we have it registered, which makes me feel that we have fulfilled a legacy and respected our ancestral wishes and memory."

Gamilaroi man Uncle Peter White said the recognition was important not only for his own family, but for the broader kinship ties connected to Borah Crossing.

"The listing of Borah Crossing as an Aboriginal Place is profoundly important — not only for my family, but for the wider kinship ties that connect Gamilaroi families to this sacred site," he said.

The NSW Government said it would work with the Yawiriawiri Murri Ganuur Descendants Aboriginal Corporation, Gamilaroi families, local Aboriginal land councils and land managers to develop a management plan for the site.

Heritage NSW executive director Sam Kidman said the declaration recognised the enduring connection Gamilaroi people have maintained with the landscape.

"Borah Crossing is a place of profound cultural significance for Gamilaroi people," Mr Kidman said.

"Recognising and protecting this landscape honours their enduring connection to Country and ensures these stories, places and histories will continue to be shared with future generations."