[13][14] Smoking ceremonies are part of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clans' cultures, and are a means of cleansing people and places of bad spirits to protect from the dangerous powers of spiritual beings.

[12] Men would use spears to hunt the fish while the women would use hooks and lines, and both would do so on canoes made from local wood.

[12] Men would be the key providers for everything The women and girls have historically made decorative and functional 'shellwork' from seashells.

[16] Shellwork is common amongst coastal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, although the connections and practices remain under-researched.

[20][21] The Koojay Corroboree is held during National Reconciliation Week (NRW) and commemorates the Bidjigal and Gadigal people, who both inhabited the land.

[30] The Aboriginal people utilised guerrilla-style warfare, as a way of combating the vast gap in weaponry capabilities to the colonists.

[31] Despite their resistance, several factors resulted in their displacement and the destruction of their ability to continue many aspects of their traditional way of life.

[32] Rock art and middens from the Bidjigal people remain in several areas across Sydney, including Bondi, George's River and the heritage listed paintings in a hidden, private cave in Undercliffe.

[26][37][10] These historical sites are at risk of being eroded and/or lost for a variety of reasons, including public intervention, vandalism, natural erosion and failure of governments or councils to take necessary actions to ensure preservation.

[38][37] The Bidjigal Reserve is a 300 hectare corridor of protected public bushland along Darling Mills Creek, mostly lying within The Hills Shire.

[32] The area was named Excelsior Reserve, and the flora and fauna suffered from the introduction of foreign wildlife, such as foxes, clearing of the land by settlers for construction projects, and wildfires.

[32] In 2004, an agreement was reached between the Indigenous population and the local council, whereby representatives of Dharug descendants were included on a new board, and the park was renamed from Excelsior Reserve to Bidjigal, and the Native Title claim over the area was withdrawn.

[41] Over 22 000 artefacts were found in a 100-metre-square area around the light rail's proposed tram stabling yard in Randwick, including spearheads and cutting tools.

The Bidjigal Reserve was known as Excelsior Park until 2004, when it was dedicated to preserve Aboriginal cultural heritage, local flora and fauna and for public recreation.

[10] Perhaps the most famous Bidjigal person was Pemulwuy, who successfully led Aboriginal resistance forces against European colonisation, before finally being captured and killed by explorer Henry Hacking in 1802.

[53][54] They have notably impacted Aboriginal and secular culture, and still remain in the La Perouse area where they first discovered the First Fleet.

[30] Esme and her sister Rose were fourth-generation shell artists and descendants of Emma Timbery, who began the family tradition of shellwork, amongst other achievements in language preservation.

[57][58] The men have partaken in the wooden crafts, with members such as Joe Timbery being a notable boomerang and shield maker.