Aboriginal Cultural Heritage

The heritage of Parramatta includes places and items that are important to the local Aboriginal community or Aboriginal people of NSW. These are places or objects to which people have a physical or spiritual connection.

Aboriginal heritage can include natural features such as creeks or mountains, ceremonial or story places or areas of more contemporary cultural significance such as:

• Aboriginal middens (such as concentrations of shell, bone, ash, and charcoal deposits that provide evidence of past Aboriginal hunting, gathering and food processing activities); or
• Post contact sites (such as sites that demonstrate Aboriginal interaction with European culture following initial contact).

Section 7.8 of the Parramatta Development Control Plan(PDF, 5MB) maps areas with potential high Aboriginal heritage sensitivity.

For these mapped areas, a due diligence assessment and/or an Aboriginal Heritage Assessment is required in conjunction with development applications, in accordance with the NSW Government guidelines and particularly where a development site: 

• Is within 200 metres of the centreline of a creek.
• Has not been previously developed and contain undisturbed original landform.
• Is within 50 metres of a known Aboriginal site; or
• Is of historical heritage with archaeological potential and is within the area of the Parramatta Sand Body.