In 1770, at the time of the first European landing on its shores, the harbor Captain Cook would name Port Jackson was occupied by many tribes including the Gadigal, Cammeraygal, Eora and Wangal peoples. The Gadigal people occupied the lands on the south side of Port Jackson. The Cammerayal lived on the lands north of the harbor. The Wanegal reportedly lived on the southern shores of the Parramatta River. The Eora people also lived on the Southern shores of the harbor.
     The Cadigal people are viewed as the “traditional owners of Sydney City region.” Their lands stretched from what is now South Head around to Petersham. The Cadigal population was decimated in the period following the European landing and settlement in 1788 as a smallpox epidemic took its toll. (City of Sydney 2002) (http://australianmuseum.net.au/ Introduction-to-Aboriginal-Sydney).
     Eora is a language group, as well as a people. The word itself means “from this place” or “here.” It was a word used by the indigenous people to describe where they came from. It became the name given to coastal indigenous people in the Sydney area. Today descendants of those people use the term to refer to themselves (City of Sydney 2002).
     The indigenous peoples believe in the Dreamtimes, a time when ancestral beings moved across the land creating life and major geographical features. In stories passed down through generations these spirits took human form and created animals and plants and land forms as well as the relationships between them. When finished, the spirits themselves changed into trees, rocks, stars, watering holes and other objects. These are sacred places to Australia’s indigenous peoples and link their past with their present. For this reason these people feel a strong connection to the land.
     People of the harbor area fashioned fishing line from the bark of the kurrajongs and hibiscus trees. Their fishing spears were tipped with bone. Their bark canoes were their transportation along the Parramatta River and other waters. Their diet included vegetables, grubs, possum and kangaroo. (Eora Mapping Aboriginal Sydney)
     One very significant Aboriginal was Bennelong. He was a member of the Wangal tribe and one of several men captured by Governor Arthur Philip in his plan to understand dialects and customs. Bennelong adapted quickly to English ways. He became an important intermediary between the English and Aboriginal people. Governor Philip eventually had a hut for Bennelong on what is today the site of the Sydney Opera House. (http://about.nsw.gov.au/collections/tag/aboriginal-men/117046)
     Some of the major streets in Sydney today were the trading paths of its indigenous peoples. Names of locations we know today such as Bondi, Coogee, Parramatta and Woolloomooloo are the names given them by the original people of the area. Stone engravings can still be found throughout the city. Disease, politics and harsh policies worked against the aboriginal people following the settlement of Australia by Britain. However, today Australia is embracing its history and its people can freely pass down traditions and beliefs to the next generation.