From 2 February 2021 | Free | Macquarie Group building, 50 Martin Place, Sydney, NSW (enter via Elizabeth Street)
Warrane explores Warrane/Sydney during the Macquarie era and looks at the changing landscape from Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal perspectives. It is a collaborative exhibition between the National Museum of Australia and Macquarie Group Limited.
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About the exhibition
'Warrane' is the Sydney language word for Sydney Cove. The Gadigal have lived on the southern shore of Port Jackson for millennia. The land and harbour provided abundant resources and the people thrived. But the arrival of the British in 1788 changed everything.
Benelong Point from Dawes Point
This area, now known as Martin Place, is where the Gadigal and other clan groups forged relationships with the colonists and fought to maintain connection with their Country and culture. It was a place of injustice and loss, resilience and survival.
Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie arrived in Sydney on 28 December 1809. On New Year’s Day 1810, Lachlan Macquarie was sworn in as the fifth Governor-in-Chief of New South Wales. During his 12-year term, a program of economic reforms and public works transformed the settlement into a prosperous town.
This exhibition explores Warrane/Sydney during the Macquarie era and looks at the changing landscape from Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal perspectives.
The idea of place
The exhibition features historical artefacts from the early days of Sydney, including pieces of a dinner set owned by Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie, a piece of rock from the hearth of a cottage on the island of Ulva, Lachlan Macquarie’s Scottish birthplace, and early coins used during the Macquarie era, including a holey dollar and dump.
The main visual focus of the exhibition is on Gadigal culture and art, with rock art featured on large wall blades, a filmed Welcome to Country by Gadigal men and women, a soundscape with poetry spoken in Sydney Language, a dynamic Sydney Aboriginal languages map, and digital labels providing detailed information on all of the exhibition content.
Explore more on the Warrane exhibition
Read important visitor and safety information for your visit. Your health and safety is a priority.
Read more about Lachlan Macquarie’s relationships with local Aboriginal people, and about Indigenous perspectives of Sydney.
Acknowledgements
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