The mountains conceal pieces of priceless Aboriginal rock art that have been part of the landscape for more than 500 years.

A TAFE course designed to connect both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with their region's heritage has seen attention focussed on the sites.

Envirolearn, a course looking at sustainable use of the environment, includes a component on traditional Aboriginal land use.

It also includes studies in water conservation, remnant bushland, noxious weeds and climate change.

The indigenous Australian component struck a strong chord with many students.

Local elder Bob Faulkner shared his knowledge and understanding of the region's heritage with the participants.

He has taken much responsibility for the art in the Moonbi ranges and the Moore Creek valley where his grandmother's people – the Kamilaroi tribe – once met with neighbouring tribe the Aniwan people for ceremonies and corroborees.

Students took part in a guided tour of the valley and were shown a rock painting of great significance. It shows two large gatherings of people, with bora rings – rock rings constructed to contain corroborees – divided by the red ochre-coloured line depicting the boundaries of the lands.

Mr Faulkner said it was wonderful to watch students' faces as they saw the more than 500 year-old rock art for the first time.

"A lot of [Aboriginal] people have never seen rock art before," Mr Faulkner said.

"A lot haven't had much to do with the bush like I have – they've lost contact with the land."

Mr Faulkner said he believed if more young Aboriginal people explored their heritage the Aboriginal community would be much better off.

He said the most pleasing part of the Envirolearn course was its focus on conservation of the important sites. These risk degradation – often at the hands of vandals.

The semester-long course had a much more profound effect than that of conservation for two of its students.

For many years Bendemeer's Marie Bullock was taught to ignore her Aboriginal blood.

Although her grandmother was Aboriginal, she had nothing to do with the culture and heritage and admitted she was too shy to speak about her ancestry.

Now in her late 40s, the Envirolearn course has reconnected her to a world she was never able to experience before.

"It really linked me back to my heritage – I was very proud," she said.

Jennifer Holcombe said the course had helped her to better understand her Aboriginal son-in-law.

"I can really appreciate his culture now," she said.

"It's in danger of becoming a lost culture and people need to be made aware of what's around. I really enjoyed just standing there in those ceremonial places."