Earliest inhabitants : Friendship ended in violence

The Dharug people roamed for thousands of years with a way of life that had changed little over the millenia. The main aboriginal "band" of the Dharug tribe in Penrith was known as "Mulgoa", with the name Dharug referring to the language spoken by a large number of these bands. The first European contact with the Nepean River Aborigines was made by Captain Watkin Tench in the year that the river was discovered, 1789. It was a friendly meeting. Unfortunately peaceful beginning gave way to the turbulence. Features further information on: Aborigines - History - Attitudes to nature - Culture - Social integration - Cultural assimilation - Civilisation - Education - Aboriginal languages - Mulgoa - Dharug - Nepean river - Watkin Tench - Land grants - Governo