Dharawal Languages and Culture

The Dharawal Language and Culture App provides an opportunity to learn about the rich Aboriginal culture of Sydney, in the palm of your hands.

What is Dharawal

In the 1860’s Turuwul (now pronounced Dharawal) was described as The language of the now extinct tribe of Port Jackson and Botany Bay (from John Malone, a half-caste, whose mother was of that tribe) and was the first known Aboriginal language name for the greater Sydney area.

Dharawal is also the name for the Cabbage Tree Palm, the overarching spirit ancestor (totem) for people that speak the Dharawal language and belong to the Dharawal nation.

In traditional culture there were many variants of language spoken within a cultural area including men or women’s version, clan group versions, children language and secret language to name a few. The clan groups such as Gadigal, Birrabirragal, Bidiagal, Cobragal and Gweagal all spoke the overarching language belonging to their cultural area, Dharawal.

“Our people identified themselves a number of ways according to their connection to their spirit ancestor, family, region they were born and lived in, their language they spoke and the status they held. In coastal Sydney you may hear Aboriginal words like waragal, garingal, gweagal, gadigal, bidiagal, gamayngal, dharawal and gadhungal. These layers of identification linked our people on a personal, local and regional basis”.

Dr Shayne Williams, Gweagal Clan of the Dharawal Nation