Chapter I

The Early Days

deep time

Over 220 million years, Sydney Harbour transformed from a river valley into today’s iconic waterway. As sea levels rose after the last ice age, the valley flooded, forming sandstone cliffs and supporting rich marine life. It is thought that people lived here at least 14,500 years ago. Shell middens, evidence of shellfish meals, are the oldest archaeological remains found around the harbour, dating back at least 6,000 years.

The Gadigal People & Sydney Harbour

The Gadigal people of the Eora Nation are the Traditional Custodians of the land along the southern shores of Sydney Harbour, including what is now known as Dawes Point. For thousands of years, they lived in family groups of around 25 to 60 people, moving with the seasons and maintaining a deep spiritual and cultural connection to land and sea.

Life along the harbour was rich and sustainable. Men camped on the foreshores to hunt kangaroo, wallaby, and other game, while women fished from bark canoes and gathered shellfish along the rocky shores. The harbour’s abundant resources provided not only sustenance but also a strong sense of place and belonging.

  • Warrane, meaning “fresh water”in the Gadigal language, was a central gathering place. A stream once flowed into this deepwater cove, making it a vital source of fresh water and an ideal location for fishing. Today known as Sydney Cove, Warrane was a place of daily life, community and continuity.

  • To the west of Warrane lay Tar-Ra, also known as Dara, possibly named for its resemblance to a tooth. This rocky headland was both practical and culturally significant. Large flat rocks at the peninsula’s edge were used for cooking fish, while the surrounding area offered access to rich marine life. The rocks and trees of Tar-Ra once had carved and painted engravings that depicted ceremonial symbols, marine life such as whales and ancestral figures. It marked it as a site of artistic and spiritual expression.

  • Adjoining Tar-Ra was Meeliyahwool, a wide arched bay with a narrow shingle-covered beach and a gently sloping rocky shoreline. This inlet was another important place for fishing and gathering, playing a vital role in the Gadigal people’s connection to the harbour. Like Tar-Ra and Warrane, Meeliyahwool formed part of a continuous cultural landscape that was alive with tradition, memory and meaning.