Heritage & History

Darug People

32 Smith acknowledges the Darug people as Traditional Custodians of this land, and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community.

We pay respect to the First Australians, and their Elders past, present and emerging.

32 Smith recognises that the area we now call Parramatta is the traditional homelands of the Burramattagal people, a Darug clan, who have a close connection to the Parramatta River. The river provided rich food sources and the Burramattagal people would build fires on their canoes to cook their catch fresh from the river.

Darug people continue to live in the Western Sydney region, and the area is also home to Australia's largest First Nations population. Parramatta was Australia's first inland colonial settlement and where many policies and institutions were first established that had major impacts on First Nations Australians, including the policies that led to the Stolen Generation.

We encourage you to learn more about the history of the Darug people and Parramatta at the Parramatta Heritage Centre. 

Proposed interpretive wall art in lobby, Source: Fender Katsalidis. From the Heritage Interpretation Strategy, p46.