Illawarra Aborigines - An Introductory History
Michael Organ and Carol Speechley, Illawarra Aborigines, in Jim Hagan Andrew Wells (eds.), A History of
Wollongong, University of Wollongong Press, 1997, 7-22.
Abstract: Archaeological evidence indicates Aboriginal people were resident in the
Illawarra region of coastal New South Wales, Australia, for at least
20,000 years prior to the arrival of European after 1788. The
non-Aboriginal view is that they reached the area as a result of
migration from South-East Asia, across the former land bridge to the
north, or in canoes by a similar route, and then along the coast to
areas such as Sydney, Illawarra and Tasmania, where they found rich food
resources. Aboriginal people themselves believe that they came from the
land, that it is their mother, and that the Dreaming contains the
answers to such mysteries. The Dreaming lies at the core of Aboriginal
spiritual belief - it has no beginning, no end, and does not recognise
time linearly, as in days, months and years. It is a part of everyday
life, encompassing totems, ceremony, the division of labour, social
structure and storytelling. This chapter provides a brief overview of
local Aboriginal history and culture, along with an account of events
following the European invasion.
