@Rowena @ajsadauskas More broadly, Myers' thesis about important colonial settler sites being built on important Aboriginal sites is very interesting in the context of Parramatta.

It was the second British settlement in Australia, its first seat of colonial government (at Old Government House), and now the main central business district for Western Sydney.

And it seems like no coincidence that before that, it was an important site of commerce and trade for Aboriginal people:

"Throughout the Parramatta River catchment, First Nations people gathered regularly to trade and perform a wide range of ceremonies that were deeply embedded in lore, kinship, and cultural practice. Early colonial records show that areas such as Hen and Chicken Bay at Abbotsford, Homebush Bay, Baludarri Wetlands, Parramatta and Cockatoo Island were important meeting places to trade food, special objects and raw materials, and hold special events such as corroborees, initiations, marriage exchanges, funerals, and combat rituals."

https://www.ourlivingriver.com.au/learn-more/history-of-the-river/

What's interesting is that a major site for that activity seems to have been in what's now Parramatta Park, just near Old Government House:

"Parramatta Park, with its strong connection to the Burramatta people. Here, you’ll see pockets of open bushland that were created by the Burramatta clan using traditional ‘firestick burning’ methods, while the native trees, shrubs and grasses seen today were also thriving prior to European settlement.

"Along the nearby stream, middens of freshwater shells have been found, while stone axes have been uncovered in the area now known as the Crescent. This was an important trading and meeting point for clan groups in the region."

https://atparramatta.com/discover/history-and-heritage/historical-places/parramattas-rich-aboriginal-history

"Fire is an important symbol in First Nations culture, which has been used for generations in hunting and cooking, to provide warmth and manage and care for the land. It also holds great spiritual meaning and is central to ceremonial practices and the sharing of cultural knowledge and wisdom.

"Cultural burns are ‘cool’ or low-intensity fires that were applied to the landscape in a highly controlled way and self-extinguish. This traditional method of fire management prevented the oil in a tree’s bark from igniting. Animals were given enough time to escape, young trees survived, and grass seeds remained intact for regrowth.

https://www.ourlivingriver.com.au/learn-more/history-of-the-river/

"Between 10,000 and 22,000 years before European settlement, [2] Parramatta was the traditional hunting and fishing grounds of the Darug-speaking Burramattagal people. The fertile park-like landscape that later greeted the European settlers was shaped by the Burramattagal's practice of 'fire-stick farming.' [3] Scarred trees, artefacts and pathways are evidence of this pre-contact Aboriginal occupation. [4] As it was located on the bank of the Parramatta River, The Crescent would have also been used by the Burramattagal for fishing and camping purposes.
...
"On 24 April 1788 a small party of the colonists led by Governor Phillip continued to explore along the Parramatta River until they came upon The Crescent, so named because a bend in the Parramatta River had cut 'a semi-circular shape into the hill whilst the river formed a [fresh water] billabong below.' [6] From the top of the hill at The Crescent – later named Rose Hill after George Rose, Secretary of the Treasury – it was evident that the land met the criteria for the location of a major township as it was both accessible to Sydney Cove and fertile enough to support the colony. The governor made plans to return in spring to establish the town that became Parramatta. [7]

"Governor Phillip, together with Baron Augustus Alt, Lieutenant John Johnstone and eight marines, chose and marked out a fortified camp on 2 November 1788. Within days, a total of 20 convicts, three officers, four non-commissioned officers and 20 marines [8] were on site."

https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/the_crescent

It's worth noting that a number of the early colonial British farms around Parramatta, including Elizabeth Farm and the James Ruse farm, were built on sites that had been previously been cleared through firestick farming.

One other interesting thing to note – and I'll take a photo of it next time I'm there – is that there's a plaque in the middle of what's now Parramatta Square.

It recognises that the site had been an important campground.

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#history #AboriginalHistory #FirstNations #AusHistory #Auspol