Cattai Audio Walk

11 STORIES

Cattai Audio Walk

Listen to stories of Dyarubbin / The Hawkesbury River at Cattai, and to the original music they have inspired, as you walk along the river and Cattai Creek in Cattai National Park.

Here at Cattai, the river leaves the floodplain and returns into sandstone country. Our guide for this audio walk is Dharug artist, Leanne Mulgo Watson. During this walk, we hear how Cattai is the start of a sacred zone to Dharug people, rich with rock engravings. We discover the Dharug names for trees that once grew here, consider the importance of the Cattai Creek-Dyarubbin confluence, and hear of Kurringy, the leader of the Caddie Creek Tribe.

We learn of the first meetings between European exploratory parties and Dharug people at Little Cattai and Cattai Creeks, and of the colonisation and frontier conflict that followed. We listen to stories of Surgeon Thomas Arndell, including how this land was granted to him, his meeting with Aboriginal leaders, and how many generations of descendants lived here after him before continuous flooding led them to sell the property to National Parks.

Finally, we learn of sand mining, water quality, wastewater and weed management in the catchment, and hear of local environmental efforts.

To listen now, play the video at the bottom of the page.

Photo by Oonagh Sherrard, 2023

Courtesy Yvonne Arndell Tuckerman

Directions

Walk location: Cattai Picnic Area, Arndells Trail, Cattai National Park, Cattai NSW

Start by the road (Arndells Trail), just before the end of the picnic ground (near Picnic Shelter 7). Walk towards the edge of the riverbank and continue upstream, to the left, until you reach Cattai Wharf.
Spend some time at the wharf before continuing. Follow the road to the gate opposite the green building near the corner of the road.
Walk through the gate towards the confluence of Cattai Creek and Dyarubbin. Continue along Cattai Creek a little, if safe to do so.
Return back through the gate, cross the road, and continue up the hill to the Caddie homestead. From here, walk down the grassy slope in front of the house and to the right, towards the Picnic Loop Trail.
Follow the Picnic Loop Trail a short distance towards the lagoon. Veer off the path and walk along the lagoon briefly before returning to the starting point, via the Picnic Loop Trail.

Distance: approximately 1.6 kilometres return. Duration: 70 minutes.

Click on the map to enlarge it, or download a printable version here.

Credits

Narrated by:

Leanne Mulgo Watson, Dharug artist

Stories told (in order of appearance) by:

Gil Jones, geologist and author of 'Wasteland, Wilderness, Wonderland'
Jasmine Seymour, Dharug artist, writer and educator
Jan Barkley-Jack, historian and author of 'Hawkesbury Settlement Revealed'
Grace Karskens, Emeritus Professor of History, UNSW and author of 'People of the River'
Yvonne Arndell Tuckerman, Hawkesbury local and descendant of Thomas Arndell
Ted Brill, former principal, Ebenezer Public School and Senior Vice President, Hawkesbury Historical Society
Michael Kemp, Hawkesbury local and descendant of Peter Kemp and Thomas Arndell
Dr Ian Wright, Associate Professor, Environmental Science, Western Sydney University
The late Ted Books OAM, former Hawkesbury City Councillor and descendant of Captain John Grono
Sue Martin, environmental educator, Cattai Hills Environment Network, Hawkesbury Waterkeeper Alliance
Dr Michelle Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Environmental Science, Western Sydney University and Hawkesbury Nepean Waterkeeper
Rhiannon Wright, Dharug educator
Erin Wilkins, Dharug educator

Readings by Ian Moxon, from:

Tench, W. (1793). A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson. Sold by G. Nicol, Pall-Mall & J. Sewel, Cornhill.

Music:

Composed by Oonagh Sherrard, with Dharug songs by Jasmine Seymour and Stacy Jane Etal
Musicians: Dimitri Vouros, clarinet; Gary Daley, piano accordion; Jess Ciampa, percussion; Jasmine Seymour and Stacy Jane Etal, vocals; Oonagh Sherrard, guitar, cello, piano, programming

Page ID: 250152