I Learned About the Gadigal People on a Dreaming Tour—and You Can Too

I’ve walked around The Rocks hundreds of times but have never fully comprehended the historical depth of the land I was on.

After embarking on an Aboriginal Dreaming tour with the ClassBento team, guided by Dunghutti–Jerrinjah Elder, Aunty Margret Campbell, I began to see the city I call home in a completely different light. 

Read on to find out more about this insightful walking tour and the powerful lessons you’ll learn along the way.

Your journey begins at Cadman’s Cottage…

We are greeted with clapsticks and Aunty Margret welcomes us to Country. She explains the lifestyle of the Gadigal people, commonly mistaken as nomadic, and the clan system that connected their families for thousands of years.

With a pointer stick, she draws a map in the sand, representing the area lived in by The Gadigal people. She points out the waterways leading to where we stand today. We haven’t yet moved from our starting spot but everything Aunty Margret says creates a powerful visualisation in my mind. She takes us through the stages of growing up in an Aboriginal community—from receiving clapsticks as a child to growing into kinship responsibilities within your family. 

Everything is brought back to Earth Mother and the connection to the land. The depth of Aunty Margret’s wisdom is sacred and I’ve been invited to hear a small piece of that ancestral knowledge today, so I listen. 

Exploring the hidden history of Tallawoladah

We walk to various spots around Sydney’s well-known harbour and Aunty Margret shares the 65-thousand-year history of the land. Businesspeople in suits pass by as Aunty Margret talks to us about the fishing economy that operated on the shores. Below soaring skyscrapers, we learn about the living history still present all around us.

She points out coastlines, reveals stories and meaning hidden in century-old trees and reminds us that the saltwater heritage of The Gadigal people in Sydney’s harbour exists just as powerfully today. 

Your walk ends with a reminder…

We’re all responsible for change. This is the inspiring mission of Dreamtime Southern X; to unite all Australians over a common connection to Illi-Langi meaning ‘homeland’. Aunty Margret believes that creating awareness and understanding can only lead to positive action and a better future for this country. 

I walk away from the tour with a new understanding of the Eora Nation—the place I call home—and a desire to learn more. 

Join Dreamtime Southern X’s Dreaming Tour here.