Discover Sydney/Warrane with an Aboriginal guide
Sydney/Warrane may be famous for its sparkling harbour and beautiful beaches, but it’s also home to vibrant Aboriginal cultures that can shed a fascinating new light on the city and surrounds.
Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney/Warrane, NSW © Tourism Australia
Uncover the pre-colonial history of The Rocks
The Rocks neighbourhood on Sydney Harbour is often referred to as the city’s oldest district because of its colonial history. But the Aboriginal peoples of the Eora Nation were living in Sydney/Warrane tens of thousands of years before the First Fleet arrived in 1788. Join Dreamtime Southern X for a 90-minute Illi-Langi The Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour to learn all about Aboriginal life past and present, spirituality and connections to land and water, in the shadows of both the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Burrawa Indigenous Climb Experience, Sydney/Warrane, NSW © Destination NSW
Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge with an Indigenous storyteller guide
You can also appreciate the city’s Aboriginal heritage from atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the Burrawa Aboriginal Climb Experience, which pairs urban adventure and sparkling views with evocative Aboriginal storytelling.
Taking you 134 metres above the sea to the summit of the iconic bridge, this climb accompanied by an Indigenous storyteller guide offers a whole new perspective on Sydney/Warrane. On the way, you’ll discover where an ancient, three-metre-high midden once stood and was later ground to lime to build the colony and scan the horizon for Manly Cove (Kaimay), where Wangal man Woollarawarre Bennelong was recruited to act as an interpreter and mediator for then-governor Arthur Phillip. You will return inspired to seek out the city’s many other secrets.
Aboriginal Heritage Walk, The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, NSW © James Tran
Find culture among the flowers in The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is an oasis of 30 hectares (74 acres) right next to the Sydney Opera House. It’s also a means of exploring Sydney Cove’s history from the point of view of its Traditional Owners, the Gadigal people. Explore the Cadi Jam Ora – First Encounters Garden, on the site where Europeans first cleared native land or embark on an Aboriginal Harbour Heritage Tour or Aboriginal Bush Tucker Tour to learn about plant uses, traditional cultures and seasonal bush foods.
