Centennial Parklands are the 'green lungs' of Sydney, and it was once referred to as one of the most 'highly politicised patches of grass in the country'.
Before colonisation/invasion, the Cadigal people lived on this land. At least 1,500 people lived in the area between Botany Bay and Broken Bay and the intermediate coast! People belonged to small groups through which they were spiritually related to specific tracts of land – these clans included the Gadigal, Wanngal, Gamaragal, Wallumedegal and Boromedegal.
Centennial Park was once considered a boggy marsh by colonialists, and called Lachlan Swamp! It makes sense when you wander around the park’s large ponds and notice the manmade walls or dams that contain them. It might be hard to believe,,,but the ginormous eels in the ponds migrate to New Caledonia! https://www.centennialparklands.com.au/stories/2019/a-slippery-journey-to-new-caledonia
Extra fun fact: At dawn on December 27, 1851, two pistol-armed men met for a duel. One of them was to become the first premier of New South Wales. Lachlan Swamp hosted the last known public duel in Australia between Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Thomas L. Mitchell and an old Premier of NSW, Stuart Donaldson. Neither man was wounded but a bullet did go through Mr Donaldson’s hat!