Dr Stephen Gapps to talk about resistance to British occupation of Aboriginal lands in the Sydney region

Society president Pauline Curby said, "The Sydney Wars were some of what the British at the time called 'small wars' - minor conflicts that took place across the empire, but nonetheless recognised as war".

"These 'small wars' occurred around the greater Sydney region, across the Cumberland Plain, along the Hawkesbury and Nepean Rivers and into the Blue Mountains, between 1788 and 1817," she said.

The guest speaker is Dr Stephen Gapps, a Sydney based museum curator, historian and president of the History Council of NSW.

Dr Gapps will consider the military occupation of Aboriginal lands around Sydney and their connection to Governor Macquarie's push to occupy the Bathurst Plains from 1815.

He will also discuss his forthcoming work on the Bathurst War 1822-1824 and how to understand these conflicts and resistance as one of the many Australian Frontier Wars that only ended in the early 20th century.

In 2011, Dr Gapps won the NSW Premiers History Prize for Regional and Community history and since then he has held a position as a curator at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

In 2021 he is Senior Curator leading the development of a new permanent display at the museum that explores deep time, environmental and Indigenous histories.

All are welcome to attend this meeting to be held at 1.30pm at Stapleton Centre, 3A Stapleton Avenue Sutherland.

Reserve your place at the COVID-safe by registering at: shirehistory@gmail.com.