Bidjigal

Fire is of central importance to Bidjigal culture and practices. This includes smoking ceremonies, which are a means of communicating with the Fire Spirit.[15][16] Smoking ceremonies are part of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clans' cultures, and are a means of cleansing people and places of bad spirits to protect from the dangerous powers of spiritual beings.[15][17]

Men, women and children have different roles in the clan. Men are the warriors, gatekeepers and protectors, while women are storytellers and nurturers.[15] The men are taught to respect and care for the women.[15] Men and women would contribute to fishing, the main source of food for the Bidjigal people.[14] Men would use spears to hunt the fish while the women would use hooks and lines, and both would do so on canoes made from local wood.[14] The women would also gather shellfish.[14]

The women and girls have historically made decorative and functional 'shellwork' from seashells.[18] Shellwork is common amongst coastal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, although the connections and practices remain under-researched.[18][19] La Perouse remains a major site of production.[18] The shellwork was popular amongst tourists, particularly amongst white women. The shellwork still blurs the line between art and artefact, and is now often part of museum exhibitions.[18]

In 2015 Bidjigal elder, artist and shellworker Esme Timbery collaborated with Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi artist Jonathan Jones on the seven-story shell art installation 'Shell Wall 2015' in Barangaroo.[20] The public artwork remains on the southern side of the Alexander residential building.[20]

A corroboree broadly refers to a meeting of Aboriginal Australians, sometimes of different clans.[21] The Randwick City Council, in conjunction with the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council, have hosted an annual Koojay Corroboree since 2015, although not running in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[22] The Koojay Corroboree is held on Coogee Beach, with the name referring to the traditional Darug name for the beach, Koojay.[22][23] The Koojay Corroboree is held during National Reconciliation Week (NRW) and commemorates the Bidjigal and Gadigal people, who both inhabited the land.[22] The festival involves cultural activities, such as fire ceremonies, song and dance.[22][24]

The Bidjigal Reserve is a 300 hectare corridor of protected public bushland along Darling Mills Creek, mostly lying within The Hills Shire.[34][41] The Bidjigal clan have inhabited the area for at least 40 000 years.[34] The rock overhangs and caves provided shelter, freshwater provided the opportunity for fishing, and the plants and animals were utilised for food, medicine and creating tools.[34] In 1804 3,800 the Bidjigal reserve was included in 3,800 acres of land set aside by the Governor King as the Baulkham Hills Common, which was then given in 1818 to private individuals as land grants.[34] The area was named Excelsior Reserve, and the flora and fauna suffered from the introduction of foreign wildlife, such as foxes, clearing of the land by settlers for construction projects, and wildfires.[34] One such project was the M2 Motorway, which was considered 'environmentally controversial' due to the destruction and disconnection of parts of the bushland.[34] In 2004, an agreement was reached between the Indigenous population and the local council, whereby representatives of Darug descendants were included on a new board, and the park was renamed from Excelsior Reserve to Bidjigal, and the Native Title claim over the area was withdrawn.[34][42]

Construction of the Randwick light rail stop, 2018

The Bidjigal clan were part of a conflict between Aboriginal elders and the Federal Government regarding the construction of the Sydney light rail following the discovery of Indigenous artefacts on the construction site.[43] Over 22 000 artefacts were found in a 100-metre-square area around the light rail's proposed tram stabling yard in Randwick, including spearheads and cutting tools.[44] Transport for NSW employed four Aboriginal groups to advise on cultural heritage following the discovery.[45] Bidjigal elders claimed that paid consultants were chosen over the traditional owners in consultation, and that the consultants had a vested interest in the construction going ahead.[45] Despite protest and an emergency heritage appeal under the federal 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act', construction went ahead.[46][47] Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt ultimately determined that the area did not satisfy a significant Aboriginal area, and denied an emergency stop work order.[48][49] Over 21,000 artefacts were excavated and preserved, although thousands more were disturbed and destroyed by construction. The presence of objects such as weapons indicate the area was a site of conflict, marking a high probability of death occurring on the site.[47]

Portrait of Emma Timbery

The Timbery family are said to have been present when the First Fleet arrived, and are descendants of Pemulwuy.[55][56] They have notably impacted Aboriginal and secular culture, and still remain in the La Perouse area where they first discovered the First Fleet.[55][57] They continue to tell their family story of the invasion, which tells that they gained some level of trust from the colonisers, turning into responsibility for certain members of the family such as Joe Timbere, who was designated 'King of the Five Islands' by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1816.[55][58] However, they also allege that their openness did not protect them from the cruelty of the colonisers, who still raped and abused the women of the clan.[55]

Esme Timbery was a Bidjigal woman and elder.[32] She was also a notable shell worker, with her art featured in several museums throughout Australia.[32] Esme and her sister Rose were fourth-generation shell artists and descendants of Emma Timbery, who began the family tradition of shellwork, amongst other achievements in language preservation.[59][60] The men have partaken in the wooden crafts, with members such as Joe Timbery being a notable boomerang and shield maker.[57][61] Laddie Timbery also gained notability in his later life for his boomerangs, valued both artistically and culturally.[62]

Garry Purchase is an artist of Dharawal, Bidjigal and Dhungutti descent, and is part of the Timbery family.[63] His paintings "The Journey" and "Missing Pieces" won both the Aboriginal Health award in 2014, 2016 and 2017 respectively.[64][65] "The Journey" also won the People's Choice award at Mental Health Art Works! 2014.[65]