Indigenous Australian painting - landscape and river with stones, water grasses and fish in foreground, with groups of indigenous men and women walking in a line toward the right edge of the painting, and a line of settler soldiers with guns and bayonets, 2 convicts and 4 women walking towards the centre of the painting from he left edge; in front of them stand 3 indigenous warriors - by Danny Eastwood. (Source: Cultural Collections, City of Parramatta)
For over 60,000 years the Parramatta area has been home of the Burramattagal people, a clan of the Dharug, who settled along the upper reaches of the Parramatta River. City of Parramatta respectfully recognises the Traditional Owners of the land and waters of Parramatta, the Dharug people, and pay our respects to the Elders past, present and emerging. We extend our respect to all First Nations people visiting these sites.
Foundation Day concept
After the penal colony was founded at Sydney Cove in January 1788, the very survival of the colony was threatened by lack of food. The problem was the sandy, infertile soils of Port Jackson, which meant that attempts at farming resulted in poor, unsustainable yields. Supplies sent from England were lost when a ship sank en route to the colony. The situation was desperate, with the colony on the brink of starvation. Governor Arthur Phillip organised exploring expeditions up the Parramatta River. When more fertile land near the head of the river was found, he decided to set up a second settlement. On 2 November 1788 (Foundation Day), a site was selected at the Crescent, in what is now Parramatta Park. One of the first priorities was to establish the Government Farm on the more fertile alluvial soils along the Parramatta River.
Convicts were set to work clearing the land of the “infestation of trees”. There were no beasts to pull ploughs, so the convicts had to till the soil with hoes. They bitterly resented this, considering that they were being treated as beasts. The overseer of the Farm was Henry Dodd, who had worked on Phillip’s own farm, located on fairly tough ground in Hampshire.
By December 1790 Dodd and his 100 convict labourers had cleared 200 acres of land, reaped 200 bushels of wheat, 60 bushels of barley, some flax, Indian corn and oats. The fertile land of Parramatta had saved the colony from starvation.
Then in March 1791 James Ruse was the recipient of the first land grant made in New South Wales, on the south banks of the Parramatta River. He and his wife became the first settlers to be taken off the government stores, setting the pattern that was ensure the survival of the colony.
But in taking over this land the colonists were dispossessing the Dharug, who had also relied on its fertile soils to provide their food, medicines and tools. The yams, which gave them their name, were dug up and replaced with European crops; the trees, which supplied their tools and habitat for animals they hunted, were felled.
Later these early farms were replaced by Chinese market gardens, while further downstream, at Orange Grove, enormous citrus trees thrived on more pockets of fertile soil.
Foundation Day
Foundation Day is Parramatta's opportunity to celebrate how far we've come as a city and to appreciate our rich cultural heritage and historical past.
On 2nd November 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip arrived in Parramatta. Foundation Day, which marks the date that agricultural projects commenced in Parramatta in 1788, has traditionally been celebrated with public events where Parramatta’s heritage and stories of past times are shared. It is great way for the locals and visitors to learn about Parramatta’s rich history. The date of Foundation Day is 2 November annually. This year marks the 234th anniversary of the founding of the city which started out as a humble farmland outpost in 1788 with the arrival of First Fleet, settlers and convicts who changed Parramatta into a vibrant settlement.
Foundation Day was a large, civic event in Parramatta with dinners, carnivals, street parades etc. In recent years, the actual day become less of a focus, with more emphasis placed on exploring the development of our community across a number and variety of events/histories/stories etc, conducted over the first week on November.
Source: Whitlam Prime Ministerial Collection
In 2018 and 2019 Council presented Foundation Day celebrations at the North Parramatta Heritage precinct alongside parallel events in heritage buildings and spaces throughout Parramatta.
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, current restrictions on gatherings do not allow for a large public event with thousands of attendees. In place of a Foundation Day 2020 public event, the CoP Events and Festivals team has produced a series of mini-documentaries to mark the occasion. The series is titled PARRAMATTA FOUNDATIONS – History, Heritage, Past Present and each episode approximately 4 minutes in duration. The series will deepen the public’s knowledge of Parramatta’s history and broaden the audience for cultural heritage.
Parramatta Foundation Festival 2021: https://atparramatta.com/foundation-festival
And Parramatta Foundations – Mini Documentary Series: https://atparramatta.com/discover/history-and-heritage - this includes historical places and First contact Tours
Parramatta People: https://historyandheritage.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/parramatta-people - This series captures a range of stories: from a young man who helped bridge the cultural divide between Parramatta’s early settlers and the Dharug people, to a talented colonial architect, and Parramatta Female Factory’s longest-serving matron.
Parramatta Foundation Festival 2022: Wednesday 9 – Sunday 13 November
Celebrate Parramatta’s rich cultural history at the Foundation Festival comprising of tours, family activities, events and open days. There is plenty on offer for lovers of history and culture or with an interest in our fascinating City. https://atparramatta.com/foundation-festival/tours-and-events
Neera Sahni, Branch Librarian/Team Leader - Heritage, Parramatta Library - Phive, City of Parramatta, 2022