@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.

(2/2)

#history #AboriginalHistory #FirstNations #AusHistory #Auspol

@RunRichRun @ajsadauskas In the case of Philip Ruddock, evil never dies.

Seriously, if you were doing a live-action remake of The Simpsons, you could cast Ruddock as Mr Burns and he'd look and act the part.

Any Americans reading this: Please let me know if any of this sounds familiar to you.

Here's a Sydney Morning Herald article from 2003, when Ruddock was Australia's Immigration Minister.

(And yes, the Australian media at the time *routinely* chose to use the derogatory term "boat people" or "illegal immigrants", rather than "asylum seekers" or "undocumented migrants".)

"The 54 Vietnamese boat people intercepted off the West Australian coast would be processed offshore to deter others from journeying to Australia, Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said.

"The group, which includes eight children, were intercepted within kilometres of the WA coast off Port Hedland, which has its own immigration detention centre.

"However, the asylum seekers are to be taken by HMAS Canberra to Christmas Island, 1,800 kms north-west of Australia.

"This was 'in order to make it abundantly clear that people are not reaching the Australian mainland', Mr Ruddock said.

"They would be housed at the island's detention centre, which was mothballed earlier this year, while it was determined whether they were seeking asylum.

"Mr Ruddock told reporters in Sydney that offshore processing 'enables us to deal with issues far more quickly, which sends a far clearer message to others who think that if they get into boats and get to Australia they might get better outcomes'."

https://www.smh.com.au/national/ruddock-firm-on-boat-people-20030702-gdh140.html

A bit more on his immigration policy:

"The Pacific Solution is the name given to the government of Australia's policy of transporting asylum seekers to detention centres on island nations in the Pacific Ocean, rather than allowing them to land on the Australian mainland. Initially implemented from 2001 to 2007, it had bipartisan support from the Coalition and Labor opposition at the time. The Pacific Solution consisted of three central strategies:

"Thousands of islands were excised from the Australian migration zone and Australian territory;

"The Australian Defence Force commenced Operation Relex to intercept vessels carrying asylum seekers (SIEVs);

"The asylum seekers were removed to detention centres in Nauru and on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, while their refugee status was determined."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Solution

He was such a prick that his own daughter ended up leaving the country:

"The daughter of Australian Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock says she has left Australia partly as a result of her father's hardline stance on asylum.

"Kirsty Ruddock, 30, left the country last week to work as a volunteer in a developing country.

"Before she left, Ms Ruddock told the ABC's Australian Story programme, which was to be aired on Monday, that she found it difficult to reconcile the values her father had taught her, with his policies.

"Philip Ruddock is at the forefront of an approach to asylum seekers which has been staunchly criticised by international human rights groups.

"Australia automatically detains all illegal immigrants and former detainees have complained of inhumane conditions at the remote detention camps."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2261853.stm

#auspol #history #AusHistory