About Bexley

Bexley Town Centre stands on the traditional lands of the Bidjigal people. Although no physical evidence of their occupation is documented within Bexley itself, it is highly likely that Bidjigal families travelled through the area, moving from Botany Bay along the Wolli Creek tributary of the Cooks River and into Bardwell valley and beyond to hunt and forage. Older Bexley residents recall growing up in the 1950s and playing in Aboriginal rock shelters that once lined Bardwell Creek — places that have since been lost to urbanisation.

Soon after the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Bidjigal warrior Pemulwuy began resisting the encroachment of settlers onto his people’s lands. Despite being seriously wounded in 1797, he continued to evade capture for years. In 1802, at the age of 52, Pemulwuy was shot and killed. His head was removed and sent to Sir Joseph Banks in London for his collection, a stark reminder of the violence and dispossession experienced by Aboriginal people during the early years of colonisation.