Warrane explored Warrane/Sydney during the Macquarie era and looked at the changing landscape from Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal perspectives. The exhibition was a collaboration between the National Museum of Australia and Macquarie Group Limited.
Warrane was on show at the Macquarie Group building in Sydney from 2 February 2021 to 23 March 2026.
Whale and shark rock art on Kaymai and Birrabirragal Country
'Warrane' is the Sydney language word for Sydney Cove. The Gadigal have lived on the southern shore of Port Jackson for millennia. The land and harbour provided abundant resources and the people thrived. But the arrival of the British in 1788 changed everything.
This area, now known as Martin Place, is where the Gadigal and other clan groups forged relationships with the colonists and fought to maintain connection with their Country and culture. It was a place of injustice and loss, resilience and survival.
Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie arrived in Sydney on 28 December 1809. On New Year’s Day 1810, Lachlan Macquarie was sworn in as the fifth Governor-in-Chief of New South Wales. During his 12-year term, a program of economic reforms and public works transformed the settlement into a prosperous town.
The exhibition featured historical artefacts from the early days of Sydney, including pieces of a dinner set owned by Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie and early coins used during the Macquarie era, including a holey dollar and dump.
The main visual focus of the exhibition was Gadigal culture and art, with rock art featured on large wall blades, a filmed Welcome to Country by Gadigal men and women. a soundscape with poetry spoken in Sydney Language, and a dynamic languages map.
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