History

Aboriginal culture is more than artefacts and sites, it’s a living culture, linked to the whole environment – plants, animals and landscapes.

New South Wales originally comprised over half of the continent of Australia as well as New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.

By 1830, much of the south-east and central eastern regions of the colony had been settled, including the southern tablelands, the Hunter Valley and the inland plains from Dubbo to Gundagai.

Inland exploration began almost as soon as the settlement at Sydney Cove was established. Several attempts were made to cross the Blue Mountains between 1800 and 1810.

The first widely known and officially acknowledged gold find was made by John Lister and William Tom at Ophir in April 1851.

Heritage consists of those places and objects that we as a community have inherited from the past and want to hand on to future generations. Our heritage gives us a sense of living history and provides a physical link to the work and way of life of earlier generations. It enriches our lives and helps us to understand who we are today.

By 1879, Sydney was a major city in world terms, and the CBD was the focus of a metropolitan area with over ten times the 1836 population.