Rivers and Resilience: Aboriginal People on Sydney’s Georges River

Tracing the history of Aboriginal people along Sydney’s Georges\nRiver from the early periods of British and Irish settlements to\nthe present, this study offers a dramatically new approach to\nAboriginal history in an urban Australian setting. It investigates\nthe role of traditional communities in this densely\nsettled suburban area, showing how the continued presence\nof Aboriginal traditional owners is largely—and wrongly—dismissed\nor ignored. Telling the stories of real people who lived along the\nriver, the research demonstrates that traditional owners took\nup active roles in sustaining rich cultural identity among\nAboriginal communities and argues that these complex groups\nhave continually regenerated their relationships and identity,\nthereby building on their traditions while engaging in a new\npresent.

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