Guringai

Guringai is an Indigenous Australian designation associated with the coastal and northern Sydney region in New South Wales. The name is used in varying ways in historical and contemporary sources, sometimes referring to a distinct people, sometimes to a language variety within the broader Dharug/Darug language family, and in popular usage it is linked to the area now known as Ku-ring-gai.

Traditional lands attributed to the Guringai are described as spanning parts of the Sydney coast and hinterland to the north and east of Port Jackson, including areas around the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and portions of the modern North Shore. The exact boundaries and the status of the Guringai as a separate linguistic or cultural group are not uniformly agreed among researchers, reflecting limited early documentation and later reinterpretations of Indigenous identities in the Sydney region.

Cultural and subsistence practices historically centered on coastal and riverine resources. People exploited fish, shellfish, and other marine foods, while also hunting terrestrial game and gathering plant foods. Material culture included tools suited to coastal and forest environments, canoes for water travel, and rock art or other place-based expressions in some localities. Social organization tended to revolve around kinship networks and belonging to local clan groups or family lineages, with cultural knowledge transmitted through stories, ceremonies, and ongoing connection to country.

Today, descendants identify with Guringai affiliations or as part of broader Darug/Dharug communities in the Sydney region. There are ongoing efforts to preserve language elements, reclaim land connections, and celebrate cultural heritage, often through local community groups, museums, and cultural programs. The term Ku-ring-gai is widely used in place names and administrative contexts in the region.