Summary

Tracing the history of Aboriginal people along Sydney’s Georges River from the early periods of British and Irish settlements to the present, this study offers a dramatically new approach to Aboriginal history in an urban Australian setting.

Rivers and Resilience investigates the role of traditional communities in this densely settled suburban area, showing how the continued presence of Aboriginal traditional owners is largely—and wrongly—dismissed or ignored.

Telling the stories of real people who lived along the river, the research demonstrates that traditional owners took up active roles in sustaining rich cultural identity among Aboriginal communities and argues that these complex groups have continually regenerated their relationships and identity, thereby building on their traditions while engaging in a new present.