Clouston Associates

Cadi Jam Ora (First Encounters Garden) - Royal Botanic Gardens - Sydney NSW

Cadi Jam Ora, or First Encounters Garden, is the starting point for the story of the Cadigal people whose country included the Royal Botanic Gardens and surrounds. It aims to evoke the memory of Aboriginal presence on the site and convey the differences in approach to the natural environment between the Cadigal and the British First Fleet. The garden provides a setting for events, interpretation, contemporary Aboriginal art, and the opportunity to speak with an on site aboriginal liaison officer.

Developed through extensive consultation with the Aboriginal peoples, the centrepiece is a 40metre long sculptural timeline interpretive feature. Written from an Indigenous perspective, it illustrates 60,000 years of continuous culture, with a focus upon the first encounter in 1788 on this very site through to the present day.