Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation
Welcome to Country
Warami budyari nhaady’unya Dharug Ngurrawa.
Which means hello/ welcome, good to see you on Dharug Country.
We would like to acknowledge and pay our deepest respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Elders- past, present and emerging.
Our people were born of this land, born of the spirit. We have walked this land since the
Dreaming. Dharug clan lands embraces the land, rivers and sea. From the Blue Mountains to
the ocean, from Hawkesbury in the North and down as far as Appin in the South.
This land has seen the Dharug people gather here for tens of thousands of years. To hunt
and feast, to sing and dance in ceremony. It is a land rich in Dreaming and we are privileged
to be Custodians of this heritage.
In the words of Dharug Elder Aunty Edna Watson,
This is Dharug lands.
It is the land of our Ancestors.
Their spirits still walk among us.
Spirits that have been here since the Dreaming.
Our language and our Culture have been passed down from generation to generation, to
continue an unbroken Culture that has extended for tens of thousands of years.
In the language of our people, we will now welcome you to Dharug lands.
Dharug warrunggadin.. budyari darrabarra.
On behalf of Dharug Ancestors.. welcome (good day).
Bayadyinignyila budyari Dharug Warunggadgu
baranyiin barrabugu.
We speak well of Dharug Elders from yesterday to
tomorrow.
Dharug bimal, burra, badu muruyin.. budyari
darrabarra.
From Dharug land, sky and water pathways.. welcome
(good day).
Yanma budyari gumadawa, yanma mudayi Dharug
Ngurrawa.
Walk in good spirit, walk softly on Dharug Country.
Budyari darrabarra Dharug Ngurragu.
Welcome (good day) to Dharug Country.
Didyarigura, Thank you.
Written by Rhiannon Wright with the guidance of Aunty Edna Watson her Grandmother.
Please do not use this WTC without permission
Our Story
Our group is a not for profit organisation that has been active as in Western Sydney as a community corporation for over 40 years, Dharug people have lived in this area for over 60,000 years. Dharug Ngurra (land) is from Gulamadda (blue mountains) in the west to the sea in the east, from the Dyrubbin (Hawkesbury river) in the north to Appin in the south
Our Aims
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Maintain a custodial role in the protection of Dharug Ngurra.
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Maintain a custodial role in relation to Dharug cultural traditions.
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Ensure Ngurra has a voice in the built environment.
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Promote wider community awareness and understanding of Dharug culture
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Tell our stories with our art practice.
Services We Provide
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Support community members to connect to Dharug culture, Ngurra and language.
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Connecting with country framework facilitation.
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Design with Ngurra (country) facilitation.
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Dharug ceremony - welcome to country.
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Site preservation including archaeological surveys and investigations.
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Research.
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Dharug story telling.
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Illustration.
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Dharug Art including weaving, painting, sculpture large scale public art and small commissions.
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Language working with Bayala.
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Cultural awareness training.
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Pre school programs.
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School programs.
The Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation walk in the footsteps of our Elders we follow our responsibilities to care for and speak for our Ngurra (country).
We aim to heal our Ngurra and celebrate our Yiyura (people) and Culture.
We have a deep and ancient connection and responsibilty to Dharug Ngurra, we share our culture, language and our stories through our cultural practices, education and consultation.
We aim to be a voice for our Ngurra in the built environment where our culture still lives.
Ngurra includes the Sky, fresh and salt water, people, animal kin, plants and everything in our environment.
Our group want to see culture easily accessible for our future generations the legacy we are creating will be here forever, for our children, grandchildren and all future generations.
Our Dharug Ngurra
We speak for Dharug Ngurra.
Ngurra is country, language, people, water, skies, kin and everything our Ngurra holds including spiritual, memories and generations thousands of years old.
In this built environment our culture and connection are strong within Ngurra and our Yiyura (people), if we listen and feel we can hear and feel Ngurra.
Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation have been speaking for Ngurra through the many lifetimes of our Elders. Our community group have been the voice for our Yiyura and Ngurra ensuring we have involvement and a voice for our Ngurra to heal and speak for country, we know that this place needs our voices and culture to continue and thrive on Ngurra.
Our ancestral roots - Dharug connections and many bloodline connections across NSW and beyond.
Our connections are what we embrace to share our stories in an environment that is constantly changing. With all the changes on Dharug Ngurra and beyond we know that Ngurra still holds our songs that teach us all we need to know, our old people are always around us and guiding us to uphold our responsibilities to our Ngurra.
Right ways of learning-
Our right ways of learning is always listening and showing respect.
We introduce ourselves to Ngurra and let Ngurra know our intentions.
We listen to Ngurra, always learning who’s Ngurra we are on, we speak to elders without asking for too much and always forming a relationship and practice reciprocity.
Respect Ngurra, working with Ngurra and leaving minimal impact, we need to work on healing by being grounded with Ngurra.
Keeping our connections strong.
Waterways connect us, heal us, give life, sustain everything, we are water.
