Dharawal (also known as the Tharawal)- original inhabitants of the Minto area
Prior to colonisation, it is estimated there were between 500 and 700 different clans / nations of Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander peoples, each with their own unique languages and cultures.
In what is now known as the Macarthur region, the Dharawal people continue to be acknowledged as the Traditional Custodians. Dharawal people cared for and inhabited land from Botany Bay to the Shoalhaven River and Nowra and inland to Camden. A traditional totem of the area is recognised as the lyrebird.
Dharawal people were able to move from area to area in safety and to maintain resources for many thousands of years before colonisation. They moved between the areas now known as Campbelltown, Liverpool, Camden and Picton, and occassionally as far as Parramatta.
Natural resources supplied all their material needs. The land of the George’s River and its tributaries provided water, food and shelter. The streams and swamplands offered a variety of food. The forest lands sheltered possums,
lizards, kangaroos and wallabies and there were roots, berries and seeds to gather. Birds also provided meat and eggs.
Along the Georges River, sandstone eroded forming rock overhangs which provided shelter. Those facing north, caught the sunlight and held warmth through the night. The walls of these shelters were often decorated with images and hand stencils outlined in red ochre, white clay or charcoal. Evidence of the tracks, camps and significant sites are scattered across the region, even today.
In what is now known as the Macarthur region, the Dharawal people continue to be acknowledged as the Traditional Custodians. Dharawal people cared for and inhabited land from Botany Bay to the Shoalhaven River and Nowra and inland to Camden. A traditional totem of the area is recognised as the lyrebird.
Dharawal people were able to move from area to area in safety and to maintain resources for many thousands of years before colonisation. They moved between the areas now known as Campbelltown, Liverpool, Camden and Picton, and occassionally as far as Parramatta.
Natural resources supplied all their material needs. The land of the George’s River and its tributaries provided water, food and shelter. The streams and swamplands offered a variety of food. The forest lands sheltered possums,
lizards, kangaroos and wallabies and there were roots, berries and seeds to gather. Birds also provided meat and eggs.
Along the Georges River, sandstone eroded forming rock overhangs which provided shelter. Those facing north, caught the sunlight and held warmth through the night. The walls of these shelters were often decorated with images and hand stencils outlined in red ochre, white clay or charcoal. Evidence of the tracks, camps and significant sites are scattered across the region, even today.
Cabrogal - Original inhabitants of the Liverpool area
‘Cabrogal’ is the name of the band of Australian Aborigines found in the Liverpool and Georges River region of western Sydney.
In 1795, when Bass and Flinders first explored the Georges River before the colonisation of the Liverpool area, the Darug, Tharawal and Gandangara tribes lived in the area. These three tribal groups were divided into smaller clans or bands. Each of these clans was named after the area of land where they normally resided. The suffix 'gal' was added to the place name to distinguish the members of that clan. The clan group around Liverpool was the Cabrogal, named after the cohbra grubs they harvested at the banks of the Georges River, especially near Cabramatta Creek.
The main contact between groups was during ceremonial gatherings. There were linguistic and cultural differences, as well as economic ones. There was also a complicated system of kinship and totems which prevented certain types of contact. It is difficult to pinpoint exact language boundaries, as information came from early colonists, explorers and ethnographers trying to interpret Aboriginal languages.
In 1795, when Bass and Flinders first explored the Georges River before the colonisation of the Liverpool area, the Darug, Tharawal and Gandangara tribes lived in the area. These three tribal groups were divided into smaller clans or bands. Each of these clans was named after the area of land where they normally resided. The suffix 'gal' was added to the place name to distinguish the members of that clan. The clan group around Liverpool was the Cabrogal, named after the cohbra grubs they harvested at the banks of the Georges River, especially near Cabramatta Creek.
The main contact between groups was during ceremonial gatherings. There were linguistic and cultural differences, as well as economic ones. There was also a complicated system of kinship and totems which prevented certain types of contact. It is difficult to pinpoint exact language boundaries, as information came from early colonists, explorers and ethnographers trying to interpret Aboriginal languages.