Prior to publishing A Long Con Gone on Too Long in July, 2023, I emailed Mayor Philip Ruddock my concerns and evidence regarding the criminal activities of the people falsly claiming to be GuriNgai. I know members of my family as well as many other members of the Aboriginal Community have reached out to Mayor Ruddock and Hornsby Council in relation to this matter. I am also aware that submissions were made in relation to the most recent attempts by the GuriNgai to re-write my families history, the history of the Hornsby region pre and post colonisation, for their own purposes.

Yet on Friday the 1st of December 2023, Hornsby Shire Council held a small ceremony in the riverside hamlet of Brooklyn, NSW.

“In the spirit of truth-telling, we’ve unveiled a new plaque at Brooklyn acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Dyarrubin and noting the inaccuracy of the site’s existing memorial to colonial explorers who were previously credited with the “discovery and naming of the Hawkesbury River”.

At a small ceremony yesterday, Mayor Ruddock and members of our Hornsby Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee took a moment to reflect upon the importance of truth-telling and its role in the on-going custodianship of Hornsby Shire that our Traditional Owners have practiced for many thousands of years “

The issues with the plaque itself are multiple – and stem from the reality that the plaque was created with minimal to zero input by Aboriginal People.

• The ‘spirit of truth-telling’ should include the practice of truth-telling.
• Captain Arthur Phillips ‘renamed’ Dyrubbin the Hawkesbury River.
• The actual Guringai People are from the Barrington region, North of the Hunter River.
• Dyarubbin is Country and life for the Dharug and Darkinjung People in this particular region.

The GuriNgai/Guringai referred to on this plaque are NOT Aboriginal People, an uncontested matter of fact.

The GuriNgai/Guringai are claiming the name of one actual Aboriginal Group, AND the Ancestors and Country of an entirely different actual Aboriginal Group, in order to create something vaguely resembling an actual Aboriginal People.

This creation is inauthentic, Culturally inappropriate and harmful.

It is not accepted by any Aboriginal Community, and has been roundly debunked by even the non-Aboriginal communities.

Everywhere but Hornsby Shire Council.

If you’re anywhere near as curious as I am, I recommend contacting Hornsby Shire Council. They don’t seem capable of hearing me, but maybe you’ll have better luck.

https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/council/about-council/contact-us