It used to be that you had to travel to remote areas of the Land Down Under to experience the culture and history of its Aboriginal peoples.

Australia has made strides in recognizing Aboriginal culture and history all over the country. Now there are more and more opportunities to have an enlightening Aboriginal experience in and around the city centers, not just in the outback.

On our last visit to Sydney, we took a downtown walking tour presented by a local Aboriginal guide. We wandered through the Rocks, the oldest part of the city, and over to the area under the Harbour Bridge.  We learned a great deal about this area’s aboriginal history .

Our guide Willy showed us the many plants in the area that were (and still are) used for food-lillypilly; soap-acacia; fruit syrups-grevillia-; glue-fig tree sap.

tour guide and grevillia plant

He showed us ochre, the earthy clay (mostly iron oxides) that has been used as pigment for rock paintings. We had a demonstration of the “stencil” technique people used to create these designs.

stenciled hand print on rock

He told one of the Dreamtime stories known to the original inhabitants of Sydney near the harbour and took us to The Rocks Discovery Museum to look at tools such as digging sticks and boomerangs. Through his eyes, we could almost envision the Sydney of  two hundred years ago.

place to meet Sydney

Good To Know:

The tour we took was The Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour (Illi Langi) which was one of the few tours available in Sydney up until recently.

Now there are many more options in and around Sydney. Check out 10 Great Aboriginal Tours in Sydney

When you go to Sydney,Australia, be sure to make some time to experience the fascinating culture and history of the Aboriginal people. One of the walking tours is a great way to learn more.