Cadigal facts for kids
The Gadigal people are an Indigenous Australian group. Their traditional lands are called Gadi. This area is where the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia is today. The Gadigal are part of the larger Eora nation.
The Gadigal originally lived in an area south of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour). This land covers what is now Sydney central business district. It stretches from South Head to Marrickville and Petersham. Part of their southern border was the Cooks River. Sydney Cove, where the first British flag was raised, is in Gadigal country. After British settlement began, many Gadigal people were moved from their traditional lands.
Early British leaders noted the Gadigal's territory. Arthur Phillip, the first governor, wrote in 1790: "From the entrance of the harbour, along the south shore, to the cove adjoining this settlement the district is called Cadi, and the tribe Cadigal."
The Gadigal are a coastal people. They used the harbour for much of their food when they lived on their traditional lands. They are one of seven clans from coastal Sydney. These clans speak a common language called Dharug. The word "Eora" means "people" or "of this place" in the Dharug language.
History with Europeans
When the British arrived at Port Jackson, Governor Arthur Phillip thought there were about 1,500 Indigenous people in the area. The Cadigal clan itself had about 50 to 80 people.
British settlers coming to the land brought new diseases. These diseases, like smallpox, caused many deaths among the local Dharug people and their neighbours. A big smallpox outbreak in 1789 caused many Dharug people to die. It was said that only a few Cadigal people were left alive by 1791. However, some evidence suggests that some Cadigal people may have moved to the Concord area and lived there.
The area that used to be the Marrickville Council is now part of the Inner West Council. This area is within Gadigal country. In 1994, the Marrickville Aboriginal Consultative Committee was set up. This committee created a website for the Cadigal and Wangal peoples.
Today, Gadigal Elder Allen Madden believes that hundreds of Dharug people live in Sydney. This includes at least a hundred Gadigal people in his own family.
Gadigal in Popular Culture
The Australian band Midnight Oil released a song called "Gadigal Land". It was part of their mini-album project, The Makarrata Project. The song includes a part written and spoken by Gadigal poet Joel Davison. A statement from Sony Music Australia said the song tells the story of what happened in Australia since 1788.
On December 5, 2020, something special happened at a rugby union match in Sydney. Before the game between Australia and Argentina, the Australian national anthem was sung. First, it was sung in the Dharug language by Wiradjuri woman Olivia Fox and the Australian Wallabies. Then, it was sung in English. This was the first time the anthem was sung in an Indigenous language at a Wallabies match. However, it's important to know that this happened without asking permission from Dharug Elders or the community first. It is very important to follow Cultural Protocols and ask permission when sharing Indigenous languages.
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