Known as Gariwerd by the local Aboriginal people who are the original inhabitants of the region, having lived in Gariwerd for thousands of years, the region provides one of the richest indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern Australia.

European explorers arrived and Major Thomas Mitchell, who went on to become Sir Thomas Mitchell, Surveyor General of New South Wales, scaled the highest peak in the Grampians, Mount Duwil (Mount William), with a group of explorers in 1836. Mitchell named the ranges after the Grampian Mountains in his native country Scotland.
 

The region soon became a centre for farming, mining and timber production, and a source of water for the surrounding farming region. The Grampians was designated as State Forest in 1872 and declared a National Park in 1984.

For additional attraction, tours and other information visit the tourism centre.