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The Strathfield
Municipality was once inhabited by the Wangal clan of the Darug tribe.
Little remains of the former Aboriginal occupation of this area. The
Wangal clan's country or territory was known as Wanne and it originally extended
from the suburbs of Birchgrove and Balmain in the east, to Silverwater and
Auburn in the west, the northern boundary was the Parramatta River but the
southern boundary is unknown.
The Wangal clan's
neighbours were the Cadigal to the east, the Wategora to the west, the
Wallumedegal to the north and the Bediagal to the south. All these clans
of the Darug tribe spoke the coastal or Eora dialect of the Darug language.
The Darug tribe's inland clans known as the 'woods tribes' spoke a different
dialect.
The earliest recorded
contact with Aborigines near Strathfield took place at Breakfast Point,
Mortlake, on the southern bank of the Parramatta River. This encounter on
the 5th February 1788 was noted in the diary of Lieutenant William Bradley RN
thus:
'At daylight
having a guard of marines proceeded to the upper part of the harbour again,
passed several natives in the caves as we went up and on the shore near the
place we left beads and some other things, who followed us along the rocks
calling to us. We landed to cook our breakfast on the opposite shore
to them. We made signs for them to come over and waved green boughs.
Soon after seven of them came over in two canoes and landed near our boats.
They left their spears in the canoes and came to us. We tied beads
etc. about them and left them our fire to dress mussels which they went
about as soon as we put off'.
Gider [1998] notes that Strathfield would
have been an integral part of the Wangal clan's territory being close to the
Parramatta River, a source of food. The Strathfield Municipality once
supported large forests of eucalypt trees with many native grasses growing as a
understorey as well as areas of very dense scrub. It is unlikely that the
Wangal clan camped in the district as Strathfield does not have any rock
shelters or overhangs suitable for camping, but they probably frequented the
area to gather or hunt food.
The most famous Wangal warrior was
Bennelong who became the only member of the Wangal tribe to travel overseas to
England in 1792 and returned three years later to tell his people of what he saw
there. Bennelong would have travelled through the Strathfield Municipality
many times with the Wangal tribe.
There have been no relics of
Aboriginal occupation of Strathfield Municipality nor burial sites discovered.
This is mainly due to the geology of the area ie no large flat areas of
sandstone or rock shelters. However, it has been recorded that sites had
been in evidence. An example of this is recorded in the Royal Australian
Historical Society's Journal and proceedings Volume VIII supplement 1923, the
recollection of C A Henderson 'Sydney to Homebush' 1855:
'On the Redmire Estate was a
leaning tree with native bear tracks upon it. It stood about one
hundred yards from the present Strathfield Council Chambers'.
This is a reference to the
Aboriginal Scarred Tree bearing markings of koala tracks. It may have been
of ceremonial significance as trees bearing designs were used as burial markers.
References
Guider, M., Aboriginal History
of Strathfield Municipality, 1998
Henderson, C A., 'Sydney to
Homebush', Royal Australian Historical Society Journal and proceedings Volume
VIII supplement, 1923
Further Information
Cadigal and Wangal Website at
www.cadigalwangal.com.au
ANTaR at
www.antar.org.au
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