igen ous ▁G uring ai ▁people , ▁after ▁whom ▁the ▁park ▁is ▁named . ▁Little ▁about ▁the ▁G uring ai ▁was ▁recorded ▁by ▁Europe ans ▁at ▁contact ▁and ▁their ▁communities ▁were ▁soon ▁destroyed ▁through ▁disease ▁and ▁conflict ▁with ▁European ▁sett lers . ▁ ▁The ▁national ▁park ▁contains ▁extensive ▁evidence ▁of ▁Ab original ▁occupation ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁prior ▁to ▁European ▁contact , ▁across ▁more ▁than ▁ 8 0 0 ▁sites ▁in ▁the ▁park . ▁These ▁include ▁rock ▁eng rav ings , ▁cave ▁draw ings , ▁occupation ▁sites , ▁paint ings ▁and ▁st enc ils , ▁ax e ▁gr inding ▁gro ov es ▁and ▁m idd ens ▁providing ▁significant ▁evidence ▁of ▁the ▁way ▁of ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁G uring ai ▁people . ▁ ▁Park ▁history ▁It ▁was ▁previously ▁under develop ed ▁by ▁early ▁sett lers ▁due ▁to ▁poor ▁access ibility ▁and ▁low ▁soil ▁fert ility , ▁except ▁for ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁fert ile ▁r idget ops . ▁S aw m ills ▁were ▁established ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s , ▁including ▁at ▁the ▁upper ▁reaches ▁of ▁Cow an ▁Creek ▁where ▁D uff y ' s ▁Wh arf ▁was ▁built ▁to ▁transport ▁logs . ▁ ▁The ▁Pacific ▁Highway ▁and ▁railway ▁built ▁along ▁the ▁r idget op ▁forming ▁the ▁park ' s ▁current ▁western ▁border ▁provided ▁access ▁to ▁Cow an ▁Creek ▁along ▁which ▁pione ers ▁settled . ▁ 4 0 ▁hect ares ▁at ▁Ger ard ▁Point , ▁now ▁Church ▁Point , ▁were ▁granted ▁to ▁James ▁Terry ▁of ▁Gordon . ▁ ▁Following ▁pressure ▁from ▁a