, ▁New ▁South ▁Wales . ▁ ▁History ▁Arch ae ological ▁evidence ▁of ▁human ▁occupation ▁alongside ▁the ▁Par ram atta ▁River ▁has ▁been ▁dated ▁back ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years , ▁and ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁date ▁back ▁much ▁further ▁( people ▁have ▁been ▁dated ▁as ▁being ▁present ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁Australia ▁more ▁than ▁ 6 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁- ▁see ▁Australian ▁Ab original ▁Pre histor ic ▁S ites ). ▁ ▁Sydney ' s ▁ge omorph ology ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁was ▁very ▁different ▁from ▁what ▁it ▁is ▁today . ▁In ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁ice ▁age , ▁the ▁Sydney ▁coast ▁was ▁approximately ▁ 1 5   km ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁and ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Port ▁Jackson ▁( S yd ney ▁Har bour ) ▁was ▁fresh water ▁cre eks ▁and ▁rivers . ▁Wang al ▁prede cess ors ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁now - sub mer ged ▁coast al ▁area . ▁ ▁As ▁sea ▁levels ▁rose ▁to ▁their ▁present ▁levels , ▁pe op les ▁living ▁on ▁the ▁coast ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁forced ▁in land . ▁By ▁ 1 7 8 8 , ▁the ▁Wang al ▁people ▁were ▁well ▁established ▁there ▁as ▁a ▁fish ing ▁people . ▁ ▁The ▁Wang al ▁people ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁encounter ▁British ▁sett lers ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 8 . ▁While ▁the ▁British ▁governor ▁Arthur ▁Phill ip ▁sought ▁to ▁establish ▁good ▁relationships ▁with ▁the ▁local ▁people ▁and ▁even ▁be fri ended ▁B enn el ong