Who Was at Botany Bay When the First Fleet Arrived (1788)?

The Gweagal clan of the Dharawal nation (often broadly referred to as the **Eora** people of the Sydney basin) were the traditional custodians of the land around **Kamay (Botany Bay)**.

• They had lived there for **at least 20,000+ years** (archaeological evidence).
• Subsistence: Fishing, shellfish gathering, hunting, fire-stick farming.
• Culture: Rich songlines, rock engravings, ceremonial grounds.
• First contact: January 1788—HMS *Supply* & *Sirius* arrived; Gweagal warriors challenged the landing party with spears (famously depicted in Sydney Parkinson's sketches).

**Correction:** The "Cadigal" (Gadigal) are the clan of **Sydney Cove (Warrane)** / Port Jackson—where the Fleet moved on Jan 26. Botany Bay (Kamay) was Gweagal/Dharawal country.

Within a year, smallpox (introduced) devastated the local population, catastrophically disrupting society.