| Summary: | When the British First Fleet arrived in 1788, Sydney was home to numerous Aboriginal communities who had been living there for thousands of years. Within a year, well over half of these people had succumbed to smallpox. Acts of aggression further eroded the community and, with loss of country as the British colony expanded, meant that for those who remained, the traditional way of life became impossible. Sydney's Aboriginal Past: Investigating the Archaeological and Historical Records is a fascinating insight into Aboriginal life in Sydney before, during and after colonisation in 1788, and into the drastic impact of white settlement up to thirty years after colonisation. Drawing on the historical, archaeological and environmental records, Val Attenbrow describes all aspects of Aboriginal life in Sydney: the different groups living in the area and how they lived; the resources available for their use; where they camped; what they ate and how they came by it; their tools, weapons and equipment; their shelter, clothing and adornment; their beliefs and rituals; and their art. Sydney's Aboriginal Past also contains a thirty-page 'Sites-to-visit Supplement' with information on how and wh
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