First Nations Sydney Tour

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[{"address":"Barangaroo Reserve","location":{"longitude":151.20180525,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"longitudeDelta":0.16350109057055107,"latitude":-33.85700936339674},"placeId":"ChIJs-MWMVuuEmsRN7STbIW1hv8","media":[{"content":{"place_id":"ChIJs-MWMVuuEmsRN7STbIW1hv8"},"type":"place"},{"content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FGmZhfQueq5SZNVZZoFIp%2F02-Barangaroo-After_0.jpg?alt=media&token=27507972-d5b8-4205-9949-566979074ae2","type":"img"},{"content":"You’re standing on land that was once an important fishing and shell gathering site for the Cammeraygal people. This headland, now restored with over 75,000 native plants, has been designed to reflect what the shoreline may have looked like before British arrival in 1788. The reserve is named after Barangaroo, a powerful Aboriginal woman who lived nearby during the early colonial period. She is remembered for resisting British customs and speaking out against injustice, offering a different legacy to that of her husband Bennelong, after whom Bennelong Point is named.\n\nAs you walk along the foreshore, you’ll notice terraced sandstone blocks, tidal pools, and native trees like eucalypts and banksias. These were chosen in consultation with Aboriginal ecologists to represent what the Gadigal would have lived among for thousands of years. Shell middens and archaeological evidence found in this area show that Aboriginal people continuously occupied this harbour for at least 6,000 years. Looking out across the water, you may spot Me-Mel, or Goat Island, which was once described by Bennelong as his personal Country. Its pending return to Aboriginal ownership adds another layer of significance to the view from here.\n\n","type":"text"}],"ttsFile":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FGmZhfQueq5SZNVZZoFIp%2Ftts_0.mp3?alt=media&token=dec3446e-297e-45bc-8f34-67c2bf48ebee"},{"address":"Dawes Point","location":{"latitude":-33.856170033285466,"longitudeDelta":0.16350109057055107,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"longitude":151.2069524512385},"placeId":"ChIJJbGZ4FyuEmsRILQyFmh9AQU","media":[{"content":{"place_id":"ChIJJbGZ4FyuEmsRILQyFmh9AQU"},"type":"place"},{"content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FGmZhfQueq5SZNVZZoFIp%2Ffirst-fleet.jpg?alt=media&token=a73bd8e0-1bc1-404d-a407-c231bf00aee0","type":"img"},{"content":"This location was known to the Gadigal people as Tar-ra and served as a lookout and ceremonial ground. In 1788, it became the site of Sydney’s first observatory, built by Lieutenant William Dawes. While observing the stars here, Dawes formed a close relationship with a young Gadigal woman named Patyegarang. She taught him her language, and his notebooks became the first written record of the local Eora language. This exchange is commemorated with a plaque on site.\n\nToday, Dawes Point is marked by remnants of colonial history, including old cannons and stone fortifications. But its dual name, officially reinstated in 2002, acknowledges the deeper story. Tar-ra is remembered not just as a strategic military location, but as a rare place of learning and mutual respect during the early years of invasion. From this point, you can view the harbour as Dawes and Patyegarang once did, and reflect on their unique moment of cultural exchange.\n\n","type":"text"}],"ttsFile":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FGmZhfQueq5SZNVZZoFIp%2Ftts_1.mp3?alt=media&token=8a95d360-a7d9-4c4e-abd3-59478d943419"},{"address":"Tallawoladah Lawn","location":{"latitude":-33.86001496065503,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"longitude":151.20902279999999,"longitudeDelta":0.16350109057055107},"placeId":"ChIJseQQBC2vEmsRcz5j3klisC4","media":[{"content":{"place_id":"ChIJseQQBC2vEmsRcz5j3klisC4"},"type":"place"},{"content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FGmZhfQueq5SZNVZZoFIp%2Ftallawolladah-lawn-3.jpg?alt=media&token=6b0c0e58-7481-4ff7-a5c5-b9c92ea04994","type":"img"},{"content":"This open lawn sits within what the Gadigal people called Tallawoladah, now known as The Rocks. Long before 1788, the Gadigal fished, foraged, and held gatherings along this shoreline. The area remained significant during early contact, and historical records show that some Aboriginal families continued camping here even after the colony began. Today, the name Tallawoladah has been formally reinstated for this lawn, recognising the original custodians of the area.\n\nFrom here, you can see across the water to Bennelong Point, once called Tubowgule. This was a traditional meeting place, where Bennelong and other Eora people would host gatherings. The Sydney Opera House now sits on that site, but the original significance remains. Behind you, The Rocks Discovery Museum features exhibits on Aboriginal life and the impact of European settlement. Plaques and occasional cultural events help visitors reconnect with the long Indigenous history of this precinct.\n\n","type":"text"}],"ttsFile":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FGmZhfQueq5SZNVZZoFIp%2Ftts_2.mp3?alt=media&token=bde749d4-8a24-4e4c-afdf-6a8238c6c9a2"},{"address":"Royal Botanic Garden Sydney","location":{"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"longitudeDelta":0.16350109057055107,"longitude":151.21523274999998,"latitude":-33.863994713736645},"placeId":"ChIJWaTdYGuuEmsRoOfx-Wh9AQ8","media":[{"content":{"place_id":"ChIJWaTdYGuuEmsRoOfx-Wh9AQ8"},"type":"place"},{"content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FGmZhfQueq5SZNVZZoFIp%2Ffdb160eeadc7d83ce96aa78c6c684b9d.jpeg?alt=media&token=16f1763c-4232-492f-8333-9c52737e4dc4","type":"img"},{"content":"The area you’re walking through is known as Wuganmagulya, or Farm Cove. For generations, the Gadigal gathered here for ceremonies and seasonal feasts. Governor Phillip is recorded as having observed corroborees in this area in the early 1790s. Though the land was later cleared for farming, its spiritual name and cultural identity persist.\n\nNear the water’s edge, you’ll find the Wuganmagulya artwork, set into the pavement. Designed by artist Brenda L. Croft, it features stylised engravings based on local Aboriginal rock art, and names of people, places, and animals connected to Sydney’s clans. This artwork commemorates both ancient gatherings and modern moments, including the 1988 Long March for Aboriginal rights. Elsewhere in the Garden, look for signs marking native plants traditionally used for food and medicine, and consider joining a guided Aboriginal Heritage Tour to hear firsthand stories about how the Gadigal lived with and cared for this landscape.\n\n","type":"text"}],"ttsFile":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FGmZhfQueq5SZNVZZoFIp%2Ftts_3.mp3?alt=media&token=52e82464-0977-4022-b9ac-c490ce808ae9"},{"address":"Art Gallery of New South Wales","location":{"latitude":-33.868596110658494,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"longitudeDelta":0.16350109057055107,"longitude":151.21708324999997},"placeId":"ChIJPVqlfGyuEmsRHPcnCX1X1OE","media":[{"content":{"place_id":"ChIJPVqlfGyuEmsRHPcnCX1X1OE"},"type":"place"},{"content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FGmZhfQueq5SZNVZZoFIp%2F1663623693-2022yir_023.jpg?alt=media&token=f134f639-8fdd-4ed4-895d-717ef99aa7a1","type":"img"},{"content":"Inside the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Yiribana Gallery is dedicated entirely to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. The word Yiribana means “this way” in the Sydney language, and the gallery sits prominently near the entrance of the new building, symbolising a shift toward placing First Nations stories at the centre.\n\nInside, you’ll find a wide range of works, from traditional bark paintings and woven objects to modern sculpture and video art. Many pieces reflect themes of Country, ceremony, colonisation, and resilience. A striking installation visible from outside features large rusted-metal versions of traditional bush bags, representing cultural continuity in a contemporary world. Interpretive panels explain how Aboriginal artists use their work to carry ancestral stories, mark territory, and confront political truths. The gallery makes it clear that Aboriginal culture is living, dynamic, and essential to the story of Sydney and Australia as a whole.","type":"text"}],"ttsFile":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FGmZhfQueq5SZNVZZoFIp%2Ftts_4.mp3?alt=media&token=257d31e1-2477-452e-a619-b9acddab0984"}]