Indigenous land and environment

On the land of the Gadigal and Wangal people of the Eora nation, surrounded and shaped by water on three sides the peninsula was and still is a significant place for Aboriginal people today.

Balmain is known as Baludarri or Leather Jacket Fish in English. Illustrating again this area as a favourite fishing spot. The surrounding bushland was rich in plant, bird and animal life with fish, shellfish and rock oysters aplenty in the bays, staples in the diet of the local Aboriginal people. Shell middens can be seen at Whitehorse Point in Elkington Park, Balmain and in Rozelle on the foreshore at Callan Point. Sixteen midden sites identified within Leichhardt with four accessible to the public. The middens are dated at approximately 4,500 years old, and are recognised as significant by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council and archaeologists.

Even after the Europeans occupied Balmain In the first decades it was still largely a place where Aboriginal people gathered, fished and hunted as Europeans picnicked. An elderly resident recalled in 1906 the bush had abundant wildflowers, tea tree and generally low scrubby trees in the early 1840s. This is also seen in contemporary paintings and images. He remembered plenty of birds, snakes, wallabies, bandicoots, and native cats.

Map with Indigenous names

This 3D model shows the Indigenous monument that sits on White Horse Point under the main tree. It has place names written on the map in First Nation language. One is Warrianbah (Cockatoo Island) and Gong-ul (Spectacle Island).

Source 2

“... Aboriginal People of coastal Sydney collected and ate many different types of shellfish and crustaceans. Both men and women caught fish but each used different equipment: men used multi-pronged fishing spears, called fizz-gigs by British colonists, while women used a hook and line. The men fished from rock platforms and canoes while the women fished only from canoes ”


The Australian Museum. (2019)

The suburb of Balmain is around five kilometres west of the Sydney CBD and on land of the Wangal people of the Sydney Basin. Surrounded and shaped by water on three sides the peninsular was and still is a significant place for Aboriginal people today. Middens thought to be 4,500 years old have been found and fish and shellfish were abundant.

Source 4

“ … Four Aboriginal cultural sites are identified at Yurulbin Point* - Long Nose Point, Yurulbin Cave, Shed Cave and Five Hands Shelter. At these locations, evidence of etchings and middens show the Gadigal and Wangal people, whose lands Yurulbin Point lay close to the border of, used the waterfront for fishing and conducting feasts. Deborah Lennis, D'harawal woman, local Elder, and cultural advisor to the CEO of Inner West Council, said there are sites of significance to be found along the harbour foreshore. “We lived there, we fished there, we were saltwater people,” she explained.” *Note: Yurulbin Point is 1.5 km north of Elkington Park


Hore, A. (2021)

Elkington Park and White Horse Point

Now covered in trees and vegetation

Prior to European colonisation, the Balmain area was inhabited by the Wangal band of the Dharug (Eora) language group. The territory of the Wangal people extends along the southern shore of the Parramatta River to Parramatta. Suburbs close to the city such as Glebe are also the home of the Gadigal and Wangal ancestors. The surrounding bushland was rich in plant, bird and animal life with fish and rock oysters aplenty in the bays. Fish and shellfish were staples in the in the diet of the local Aboriginal people. Sixteen midden sites have been identified within Leichhardt with four accessible to the public. The middens are dated at approximately 500 years old, and are recognised as significant by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council and archaeologists.

Source 7

" … even after Balmain was thrown open for settlement progress was slow. In fact, for years Balmain remained as nothing more than a fishing ground for blacks [sic] and a picnic-place for the white inhabitants of Sydney. It is stated that the shores were covered with mussels and cockles, … but it was not easy of access to and from the city. … The first settlement at Balmain took place about 80 years ago. It was at Peacock Point."


The Sydney Morning Herald. (1914)

Balmain is known as Baludarri or Leather Jacket Fish in English. The Balmain area is said to have been a favourite fishing spot for aborigines. The shoreline would have been covered with cockles and mussels. There is no physical evidence remaining however, of aboriginal occupation of the park or immediate area. (Schwager Brooks and Partners 1993)

White Horse Point Map with Indigenous names

This 3D model shows the Indigenous monument that sits on White Horse Point under the main tree. It has place names written on the map in First Nation language. One is Warrianbah (Cockatoo Island) and Gong-ul (Spectacle Island).

References