History
The Auburn area was once used by Aboriginal people as a meeting place as it was located on the border between the Darug inland group and the Eora/Dharawal coastal group. Sub-groups were known as clans and the Wangal has been most commonly recognised as the inhabitants of the Auburn/Homebush Bay region. Bennalong, one of the most famous Aborigines of the time, was a member of the Wangal, along with his wife, Barangaroo. Another member of the clan was Pemulwuy, who organised tribes to resist the white settlement of the Sydney region from 1790 to 1802. Evidence points to the use of the region as a “Law Place” for ceremonies, a market place for the exchange of goods and as the site for ritual battles.
The Wangal and Wategoro are most commonly recognised as the original inhabitants of what is now the Auburn/Homebush Bay region. Both groups used to live and hunt in this area, they are both inland Darug groups. The Wangal is the Balmain clan. The Wategoro is the Duck River clan.
Today, Auburn straddles the borders between Deerubbin Land Council to the west and the Metropolitan Land Council, which includes Homebush Bay and Sydney. Visitors to Auburn can still see evidence of Aboriginal settlement in the conservation area of Millennium Park, where there are four scar trees.
Soon after the landing of Captain Arthur Phillip in Sydney Cove, small parties were sent exploring by boat along the rivers. On the 5th February 1788, Captain John Hunter and Lieutenant William Bradley sailed up an arm of Sydney Harbour (now known as Parramatta River) as far as Homebush Bay. Captain Hunter was without doubt the first white person to set foot within the Auburn Local Government Area.
Ten days later the Governor with a well armed party in three boats reached Homebush Bay and went about 3 kilometres into the country. The following day a party of explorers traced the river in a westerly direction and came to the place where Duck River enters Parramatta River. The explorers entered and explored the tributary as far as the depth of water permitted. They saw what appeared to be ducks rise out of a swamp covered with reeds. They named the river "Duck River". The ducks later turned out to be Eastern Swamp Hens, but the name Duck River remained.
The Eastern Swamp Hen featured prominently on the Council's Coat of Arms and is now part of the Auburn Council Logo.
For more history on Auburn click on the following links: