Darug

The Darug (also spelled Dharug, Dharuk, or Dharruk) are an Indigenous Australian people and their language from the Sydney region. The name is used for both the group of communities in the western Sydney area and the language traditionally spoken there. Spelling variants reflect different orthographies used by researchers and communities.

Traditional lands and connections extend across the western Sydney river systems and surrounding countryside. Core territory includes parts of the Parramatta River valley and the Hawkesbury and Nepean river catchments, with adjacent areas extending toward the Blue Mountains foothills. The Darug people are closely related, culturally and linguistically, to other Sydney groups and to the broader Darug language continuum.

Language and culture are central to Darug identity. The Darug language has several dialects and is the focus of ongoing revival and learning programs in schools and communities. Traditional practices include land management knowledge, storytelling, art, ceremonies, and kinship systems that organize social responsibilities and totemic relationships with the land and its living beings.

History since European colonization has been marked by dispossession, disease, and conflict, leading to significant disruption of traditional life. Despite this, Darug communities have maintained cultural heritage and have actively engaged in language revival, cultural education, and advocacy for recognition and rights.

Today, multiple groups identify as Darug Nation or Darug communities and work to preserve language, culture, and connection to traditional lands. They participate in cultural events, collaborations with museums and schools, and efforts to protect land and water resources in the Sydney region.