1990s

1990

June Workman nee Tandy works to start Darug Link to bring Darug people together to connect with each other and work on developing genealogies.

  • Darug Link reunion
  • Darug geneology, book by James Kohen
  • Darug Tribal Link
  • Reconciliation week, Mt Druitt, 2012
  • Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation
  • Gay Marheine Darug, Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation researcher

1991

Julie Lavelle founds the Blue Mountains Aboriginal Support Group.

Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody presents its Report and Recommendations to the Federal Government. It finds that of the 99 deaths it investigated, 43 were of people who had been separated from their families as children. The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act (Cwlth) passes through Parliament with cross-party support.

1992

Colin Locke’s family is forced to move from their water catchment home at Blackheath.

Link Up moves its head office to Lawson, in the Blue Mountains.

1996

A native title claim is lodged by GTCAC over the vacant Crown lands within Gandangara country.

Darug Local Aboriginal Land Council changes its name to Deerubbin LALC. The Blue Mountains Aboriginal Culture and Resource Centre and the Gungangara Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation are established in Katoomba.

Academic, Jim Kohen publishes Daruganora: Darug Country, the Place and the People.

1997

The Darug Custodians Aboriginal Corporation and the Darug Tribal Elders Aboriginal Corporations are established following a meeting called by Jim Kohen for which he sends invitations to many people of Darug descent.

  • Near battle site, Richmond

1998

75 people gather at the Gandangara Tribal Council Premises to listen to Gully residents Aunty Joan Cooper, Aunty Dawn Collis and Uncle Rob Fletcher sharing their stories.

1999

The possibility of a play, The song sings on: Life and Legacy of Maria Lock, is discussed in Mt Druitt. The play will be an elaborately staged musical version of the history of the Darug people. It will be written, produced and acted mainly by Darug descendants of Maria Locke.

A fifth generation descendant of Yellomundee (Yarramundi), Aunty Edna Watson, unveils a memorial to the meeting of Governor Phillip and Yellomundee, in Macquarie Park in Windsor.

  • NAIDOC elders, in front Edna Watson and Wes Marne