Parramatta

The eel and the convergence of salt and fresh water.

Before the arrival of Europeans in 1788, the Sydney area was occupied by three Aboriginal groups. In the Parramatta area, it was the Burramatagal clan of the Dharug group.

The word "Parramatta" was first used in June 1791. It is derived from Burramatta, a literal translation of which is "place where the eels lie down".

Some species of eel migrate from salt water to fresh water to spawn. The eels migrate up the Parramatta River, and the name is probably associated with that. Parramatta is located at the convergence of salt and fresh water. The river flows into Sydney Harbour.

This section of the riverside walk represents the importance of the eel to the Indigenous people.