This project focuses on creating sustainable environmental design and engaging educational content to protect important unlisted Aboriginal historic sites in Sydney, Australia.

The Wangal people had a sophisticated understanding of the weather and tidal events of the waterways. Using this knowledge to structure their lifestyle, the Wangal people utilised the river for its rich resources and food such as snapper, oysters and cockles. The Wangal people would go out on Burramattagal (Parramatta River) in nawis/narwees (canoes made from bark). The Wangal men would stand up in their canoes, using long spears to catch fish.The Wangal women would use fishing lines made from paper bark, and would sing fishing songs to lure their catches in. Using fire pits inside their nawis/narwees, the Wangal people would cook and eat their food fresh.

The Wangal people have a very special connection to the land, in many different ways. They looked to the land for more than food and shelter, but also for guidance and care. Surrounding the rivers, stood many casuarina trees. Their spiky nuts would litter the ground below, making it impossible for snakes to slither over them. Because of their abundant nut produce and ability to ward off snakes, the Wangal women saw the trees as female. While they went fishing, the women would leave their children under the safety and protection of the casuarina trees.

The Wangal people placed great importance on family, and would come together around fires at middens. A midden was a place where families ate and socialised together outside. Remains from their meals, such as shells from oysters and cockles, can still be seen around this area. Following groups could observe these remains to ensure the area was not over-fished or over-harvested. This is just one example of the Wangal people’s sustainable practices.

This all changed with the arrival of the British in 1788, whose hunting and land clearing practices were jeopardising to the landscape. With their arrival also came smallpox, which had catastrophic effects on the Wangal clan as well as many other Indigenous groups. Timbrell Park is part of Wangal land. It was and always will be Aboriginal Land.

I would like to acknowledge the Wangal people of the Eora Nation who are the traditional custodians of the land this park now stands. I would also like to acknowledge the Gadigal and Birrabjrragal people of the Eora nation, who are the traditional custodians of the place I call home. I acknowledge all Aboriginal elders, past present and future. This interactive experience is part of the student learning experience in 87831 VC Design Studio: Visual Communication and Emergent Practices Spring 2019 in the Faculty of Design Architecture and Built Environment (DAB) University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and is not a professional design outcome. This project was developed under the guidance of Indigenous project leaders, research advisors and studio leaders.