Culture

Guparr students who attended the Sydney camp on Cockatoo Island learnt how Wareamah (pronounced waw-ree-ah-mah), a First Nations name for the island, connects to the waterways and homelands of the Wallumedegal, Wangal, Cammeraygal and Gadigal peoples. It continues to hold significance for Traditional Owners and Custodians. First Nations peoples were part of the island’s maritime workforce, and some experienced periods of incarceration on the island during the 19th and early 20th centuries. 

The island was once a meeting place, with its name being the Gadigal word Wareamah, meaning 'Women's Place'.