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The Oran Park Residents’ Association Inc (OPRA) is an independent, not for profit organisation that represents and supports the residents of Oran Park. Our aim is to enhance community wellbeing, strengthen social connections, and create opportunities for all residents to participate in shaping the future of our suburb.
We promote inclusiveness, mutual respect, and understanding among the diverse cultural and religious groups that make up our growing community. Through local events, cultural and sporting activities, and open discussion on local issues, we work to build a safe, connected, and vibrant Oran Park.
OPRA operates entirely through community support, powered by volunteers, membership contributions, sponsorships, and grants to ensure every resident has a voice and a place in the life of our community.
A little about Oran Park’s history
A little about Oran Park’s history
Oran Park sits on land that was originally inhabited by the Dharawal (also spelled Darawal) people and the Muringong, the southernmost clans of the Darug. In 1815 Governor Lachlan Macquarie granted a 2,000-acre estate to Captain William Douglas Campbell which became part of the historic Cowpastures grazing district. The original homestead, known as Oran Park Homestead, was built from 1837 to 1946 and is recognised on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. Later, Oran Park became home to the renowned Oran Park Raceway (1962–2010), and since then it has been transformed into one of Sydney’s fastest-growing new suburbs.
With this rich heritage and rapidly evolving community, the Residents’ Association is proud to support Oran Park’s journey — honouring its past while helping shape an inclusive and resilient future.
Traditional Custodians of the Land – The Dharawal People
Traditional Custodians of the Land – The Dharawal People
The Dharawal people, also known as Tharawal or Turuwal, are the Traditional Custodians of the coastal and hinterland region that stretches from the southern shores of Botany Bay through Port Hacking to the Shoalhaven River and inland across areas such as Campbelltown and Camden, which includes present-day Oran Park. The name “Dharawal” is believed to mean “cabbage palm” in their language, symbolising a deep connection to the natural environment. For tens of thousands of years, the Dharawal lived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers, drawing sustenance from the rich coastal waters, rivers and forests of their land. Their presence is still evident today in the numerous shell middens, rock engravings and art sites found across the region, such as those at Jibbon Point.
The Dharawal language, part of the Yuin–Kuric branch of the Pama–Nyungan family, was traditionally spoken across this area and is currently being revitalised through community and educational programs. Cultural totems such as the lyrebird, which represents peace and reconciliation, continue to hold significance, especially within the Campbelltown region. The Dharawal people’s history is deeply intertwined with Australia’s colonial beginnings, James Cook’s 1770 landing at Botany Bay occurred on Dharawal land.
Today, the Dharawal people are formally acknowledged as the Traditional Custodians of lands encompassing the Sutherland Shire, Campbelltown and Camden local government areas. Their continuing cultural and spiritual relationship with this land is recognised and respected through ceremonies, educational initiatives and heritage conservation efforts. In the Oran Park region, recognising the Dharawal people reminds the community of the deep history that predates modern development and reinforces the importance of reconciliation, respect and shared stewardship of the land.
Photo Credit: Adam Scarf Photography
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