Dawn Reflection

Nanbarry was a prominent figure in Sydney’s early colonial history, serving as an interpreter and intermediary between his people and the British. As a boy he survived smallpox in 1789, which killed his parents. He recovered under the care of Surgeon John White and took on a new name—Andrew Sneap Hammond Douglass White.

Speaking "pretty good English," Nanbarry became a bridge between cultures. Some say he also acted as an Aboriginal spy within Governor Phillip's house, passing on warnings to Indigenous resistance leaders. He became a seaman on HMS Reliance, making voyages to Norfolk Island and the Great Barrier Reef.

In his youth, he took part in an initiation ceremony at Farm Cove in 1795 and throughout his life participated in ritual revenge battles. Nanbarry's death at Kissing Point in 1821 is shrouded in mystery. He was buried alongside Bennelong and his last wife within James Squire's orchard.

Barangaroo was an Indigenous woman who lived in the Sydney area before the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. She is often associated with the Cammeraygal people, part of the Eora Nation. She witnessed significant changes to her homeland and was known for her ability to adapt and be resilient.

Barangaroo played a significant diplomatic role in mediating between the local Gadigal clans and the European settlers, who were unaware of the traditional practices of the original custodians. Her interactions with figures such as Governor Arthur Phillip were notable for attempting to navigate the cultural and social complexities of the time.

Barangaroo resisted the impact of the exploitation and disruption to the harmony of Sydney Cove. This resistance was not only physical but cultural. Barangaroo made many efforts to maintain her cultural practices, connections to the land, and traditional ways of life despite the encroachment of the settlers.

Pemulwuy was a prominent First Nations warrior. He was a proud member of the Bidjigal people, a clan of the Eora Nation. However, his role was not just that of a warrior - Pemulwuy, much like Barangaroo, began in a diplomatic role with the new arrivals, arranging trade through meat and fish.

His interactions with figures like the Gamekeeper John McIntyre have been recorded, and Pemulwuy fought to preserve cultural practices, maintain connections to the land, and uphold traditional ways of life as the First, Second and Third Fleeters arrived.

Pemulwuy led warriors from Botany Bay in the east to Parramatta and Toongabbie out west. In 1797 he was shot and hospitalised but later escaped. Pemulwuy was shot dead in 1802. Governor King recognising him as a as “a brave and independent character”. Today, Pemulwuy is remembered for his leadership, courage, and resilience.

Patyegarang is an important figure in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and is considered by some to be the first Aboriginal linguist in Australia. She was born before Sydney Town was established in the early 1780s, coming from the Cammeraygal clan of the Dharug nation.

At the young age of 15, Patyegarang assumed a role far beyond her years—serving as a cultural educator and local language instructor for Lieutenant William Dawes. Dawes forged connections with the local Gadigal people, finding in “Patye” (as he fondly called her) a resilient mentor.

Together, they embarked on compiling vocabularies, grammatical forms, and expressions in his notebooks. Dawes recorded their conversations, which would become a major source of information about the Gadigal language and offer unique insights into the broader concerns of Aboriginal people at the beginning of colonisation.