Tharawal people

The Tharawal (also Dharawal ) are a tribe of Aborigines and were the original inhabitants of southern Sydney and the Illawarra region in Australia. The Tharawal were the first Aboriginal tribe who met the European colonists in 1788.

Country

The Tharawal lived in an area from the south of Botany Bay from Port Hacking to the north of the Shoalhaven River and inland to as far as Campbelltown and Camden. It was generally assumed that there are no descendants of Tharawal - people more but after ( right to land ) could be claimed according to the Mabo verdict a Native Title, areas have been claimed, belonged to the Tharawal - people.

Clans and names

The Tharawal strain was divided into several clans: Bediagal ( Manly Harbour ), Bidjigal ( Kurnell ), Toogagal ( south of the George River ), Cabrogal ( Wollongong ), Boorooberongal ( Bong Bong ), Cannemegal (presumably Royal National Park), Gomerigal - tongara, Muri Gong, Cattai.

Alternative names for Tharalwal are Dharawal, Darawal, Carawal, Turawal, Thurawal, Thurrawal, Thurrawall, Turu whale, Turuwul, Turrubul and Turuwull.

Art and dreamtime

The Tharawal speak their own language, the Tharawal language. They had high artistic skills that were brought by them in many Sydney rock engravings at Jibbon Point expressed. In the Dreamtime of Tharawal the idea alive that a woman spirit land and water separated. This creation spirit was alone and therefore created two sisters, Wurrata and Wiritjiribin and returned to his place at the starry sky. As the two sisters were alone, two men later, the woman spirit created, and this was the beginning of Tharwal - people.