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The
Dharug Story, Our History
People living here 200 years ago lived a traditional way of life - simple
in it's material requirements yet rich in spiritual meaning. They were
born into totemic kinship groups that marked a special relationship for
the individual with the place or "Dreaming tracks" in which he or she
was conceived. This relationship carried with it certain responsibilities
in which they were schooled as they were 'grown up' by the Elders of the
community. Aboriginal Law regulated much of the life in Aboriginal community.
The customs, ceremonies and conduct of the Dharug were prescribed by laws
believed to originate in the time of 'the Dreaming'. It was a way of life
taught and practiced from generation to generation...a life accompanied
by much singing and dancing. It was a life to change dramatically with
the arrival of the Europeans.
"No houses 'tall. I member first White come here - all Blacks den, no houses,
all gunyahs* - ev'ybody fight, black gins cry, black men shout and get boomerangs
an' tings like for big corroboree. Oh lor' - I frightened - get in bush next
memurrer [next to my mother}." - Nah Doongh "Black Nellie" circa 1886 * Gunyah
- traditional Aboriginal abode made from sheets of bark.
First
Encounters
Actually,
the first encounters recorded by the Europeans in this area were rather
amicable ones. Captain Tench of the Marines records this experience of
of one of his first encounters with the Dharug people of the Hawkesbury
River. "we continued our progress until it was again interrupted by a
creek, over which we threw a tree, and passed upon it. While this was
doing, a native, from his canoe, entered into conversation with us, and
immediately after, paddled to us, with a frankness and confidence, which
suprized everyone.* ...he seemed to be neither astonished, or terrified
at our appearance and number. Two stone hatchets, and two spears, he took
from his canoe, and presented to the governor, who in return for his courteous
generosity, gave him two of our hatchets and some bread, which was new
to him, for he knew not its use but kept looking at it until Colbee shewed
him what to do, when he eat it without hesitation... The ease with which
these people behaved among strangers, was as conspicuous, as unexpected,
they seated themselves at our fire, partook of our biscuit and pork, drank
from our canteens and heard our guns going off around them, without betraying
any symptom of fear, distrust, or suprize. On the opposite bank of the
river, they had left their wives and several children, with whom they
frequently discoursed; and we observed, that these last manifested neither
suspicion, or uneasiness of our designs towards their friends... ....
they bade us adieu, in unabated friendhsip and good humour. Colbee and
Boladeree parted from them with a slight nod of the head, the usual salutation
of the country; and we shook them by the hand, which they returned lustily."
*
This man was Gomebeeree of the Boorooberongal - Father of Yarramundi whose
daughter Maria was to later attend the 'Native Institution' and marry the
carpenter/convict there Robert Lock.
However
the good relations were short lived. "Galgala" the smallpox, had slain
nearly half of the inland Dharug before the two cultures had even met.
The Dharug were still reeling from this catastrophy when even further
calamities were visited upon them...
THE
LAND IS TAKEN
In
November of 1788 Governor Phillip had begun to establish a new settlement
at Parramatta. More and more farms were to follow and soon the land of the
Dharug was being eaten up by the land-hungry "visitors". Aboriginal people
were to be prevented from travelling through their own land while much of
their traditional food was being ploughed in or driven off to accomodate the
needs of the new arrivals. The Dharug people continued to live on their traditional
lands, though more and more they found themselves pressed to the fringes of
these new estates. Battles were waged; often through misunderstandings and
frequently as retaliations for particular offences. After two years of increased
fighting in the district, Governor Macquarie dispatched a military unit into
the Penrith area in May 1816 and issued a proclamation which deemed it an
offence for any Aboriginal to carry weapons "within one Mile of any town,
village or farm." Groups of six or more were prohibited from congregating
around farms, and any Aboriginal could be legally driven off "by force of
arms by the settlers themselves" if the settlers felt they were being 'pestered'.
The Dharug were being systematically shut off from their traditional lands
and way of life. In the latter half of 1816 the armed conflicts came to an
abrupt end when an expedition of soliders executed some fourteen men, women
and children in retaliation for a particularly savage attack by some Aboriginals
at Bringelly. Two of the corpses were hung in trees... a dark warning against
any further reprisals. The Dharug people were effectively subjugated.
GOOD INTENTIONS
Relations between the two cultures entered a new phase with the cessation
of arms. Although traditional practices were kept in various areas, a
great number of the Aboriginal people of western Sydney found themselves
becoming more and more dependent on the Europeans for food, shelter and
clothing as their traditional way of life was taken away from them. Many
found themselves in dwindling numbers congregating on the fringes of the
properties of sympathetic land owners ; often working on farms for little
more than a dog's breakfast. Although mercifully there were some exceptions.
An unnamed correspondent to the Sydney Gazette in 1826 reports ...
"The
tribe of Mulgoa reaped upwards of thirty acres of wheat for me within
the last fourteen days; the work was as well executed as if performed
by my best English labourers. The blacks are willing to work if well fed;
but the generality of settlers, I regret to say, think these unfortunate
people are sufficiently renumerated for their day's labour by a gift of
a small piece of tobacco and a drink of sour milk. I gave them and their
wives three good meals a day, and a moderate quantity of weak rum punch
(or what they call bull) in the afternoon. They went to their camp at
sun down in high spirits, and were among the first in the wheat fields
in the mornings."
Governor Macquarie was himself sympathetic to the plight of the natives.
He took a number of radical steps to integrate the natives into the new
society. He granted land to farm for a number of Aboriginals who lived
there and in 1814 he founded the "Native Institution" at Parramatta (later
relocated to 'Black town') where Aboriginal people were encouraged to
board their children. An annual "Feast" was instituted at Parramatta to
encourage social intercourse between the cultures.
WHEN
CULTURES COLLIDE
In 1824 an estimated 400 tribal people attended the feast but in the years
to follow numbers gradually declined until in 1835 Governor Bourke shelved
the practise. The Native Institution which boarded Aboriginal children
also began to suffer from lack of numbers. It soon became obvious that
Aboriginal people for the most did not care to be separated from their
children. As the century wore on, Aboriginal conditions worsened. Traditional
skills and knowledge were being lost and while a number of Aboriginal
families were making attempts into a more settled means of existence,
the new diet (flour, sugar, tea, and alcohol) and unhealthy living conditions
were killing many and demoralising a good deal more. The new world which
had broken upon them threatened the very existence of the Dharug people.
THE
CHILDREN WERE TAKEN
In
1883 the Aborigine's Protection Board was set up to address the 'aboriginal
problem'. It created reserves on which Aboriginal people were 'encouraged'
to live and where the powers of the Board effectively gave it control
over the lives of all Aboriginal people living there. The land on which
the Aboriginal community of Plumpton lived was declared a reserve and
the extended Lock family who lived there by grant from Governor Macquarie
("to have and to hold forever") were gradually split up and moved on with
the land being sold by the Aborigines Protection Board sometime in the
early 1900's. In 1907 the Aboriginal Protection Act invested the board
with even more powers which resulted in great numbers of Aboriginal children
being removed from their families to be brought up in white society foster
homes throughout the state. Aboriginal communities were severed,... and
a generation of Aboriginal people were brought up in ignorance of their
aboriginality and cultural identity. The Aborigine's Protection Board
was abolished in 1940, although the practice of removing Aboriginal children
continued under it's successor - the 'Aboriginal Welfare Board' until
that too was abolished in 1969.
THE WAY AHEAD
In 1972 Commonwealth Policy changed from assimilation to self determination.
Aboriginal people were encouraged to make their own decisions and in 1990
ATSIC, (the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission) replaced
the Department of Aboriginal Affairs. Elected Regional Land Councils and
a Board of Commissioners were created to work together to give a voice
to Aboriginal communities and their concerns. Organisations such as '
Darug Link ', were formed to help reunite Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal
people began to be encouraged to celebrate their cultural heritage.
In 1992, the Australian High Court rejected 'Terra Nullius'. This means
that the law of the land no longer accepts that Australia was a land belonging
to no one. To Aboriginal Australians, the end of ' Terra Nullius ' meant
a great deal. Patrick Dodson, chairperson of the Council for Aboriginal
Reconciliation in 1994 explained it this way: "Australia faces a very
important challenge to improve the relationship between the nation's indigenous
peoples and the wider community. We need to show that we are capable of
resolving the causes of disharmony and injustice that have so often marked
this relationship, and to work towards a future based on justice and equity...
We believe every Australian can take a positive step to better relationships
and understanding. We believe we need to become better at working with
what we have in common to better deal with what divides us... We invite
all Australians to share our vision and to work to make it a reality."
Our
Vision:
"A
united Australia which respects this land of ours, values the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander heritage, and provides justice and equity for
all."
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