Welcome to Seaham
We begin by acknowledging the Worimi people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we stand today, we pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
We are committed to a positive future for the Aboriginal community.
• ALWAYS WAS • ALWAYS WILL BE • ABORIGINAL LAND •
Worimi Country
The Traditional Owners of Seaham are members of the Garawegal clan of the Worimi. Numerous generations over tens of thousands of years developed a complex culture. Their sustainable lifestyle and light touch landscape management which enhanced protection of significant sites and food supplies, was quickly disrupted by early European settlement.
The Worimi are proud of their culture and heritage, their descendants still live on their traditional lands and continue to maintain their cultural practices by passing their knowledge, arts, rituals and performances from one generation to another, speaking and teaching their traditional language, protecting cultural property and their sacred and significant sites and objects.
• WELCOME TO •
Seaham Shared Pathways
The Seaham Shared Pathways project was started by the late Brian Gilligan of Seaham. The project aims to establish positive connections with locals and visitors to the Seaham area, by providing a pathway that connects the Seaham Swamp to the Seaham Park incorporating beautifully designed local history signage that welcomes and informs visitors. The signs are illustrated and designed to tell stories of the history of the area and to inspire visitors to explore the locality and gain a better understanding of its past. The pathway concept is to incorporate the bird watching hut where visitors can meet and view an informative sign which highlights points of environmental and historic interest.
BRIAN GILLIGAN
Brian Gilligan was a resident of Seaham for over 47 years. He held senior roles in NSW EPA and NSW NPWS and worked for organisations nationally and internationally in environmental education, environment protection, land management and conservation. However it was the involvement with his local community of Seaham which gave him great satisfaction.
THE TOWNSHIP
The settlement of Seaham
The first land grants were made at Seaham in the early 1820’s and a thriving community developed through the years when the Williams River was the major transport link with Clarencetown and Newcastle. Decline began with the by-passing of Seaham by the Main North Coast railway line at the time of the First World War. A disastrous bushfire in January 1939 destroyed many buildings in the Seaham district and significant links with the past were lost.