Apart from rock paintings and engravings, there is little evidence of the artistic and cultural activities of Aboriginal people prior to the white invasion. However, there are several accounts - the journals of officials and others in the First Fleet - that document the cultural traditions of Sydney’s Aborigines at the time of European settlement.

It is clear that singing and dancing were a large part of daily life for Aboriginal people in Port Jackson. Some observers like Governor John Hunter claimed that Aboriginal women would sing all day, particularly while fishing, keeping time with a song while they paddled. The songs and dances performed at corroborees told stories of hunting, fighting and male / female relationships. Corroborees, termed "bush operas" in modern days, took place at night at Bennelong Point (the site of Sydney Opera House), where non-sacred songs and dances were performed.

The main forms of visual arts were rock engravings and rock paintings. Rock engravings were usually done on flat, horizontal pieces of rock and, like rock paintings, often featured the wildlife of the coastal area. Rock paintings were usually of animals such as whales, fish and sharks.

Aboriginal playwright, screenwriter and director Bob Merritt believed in a resurgence of Aboriginal culture and in 1984 set up the Eora Centre for the visual and performing arts in Redfern. The objective of the Centre was to offer young Aboriginal people a comprehensive education in the traditional arts.

Aboriginal art and culture are accessible throughout the year in Sydney, but there are also significant and specific annual events. NAIDOC Week is a national celebration when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people share their culture with families and friends, and in particular with schools, in an effort to educate and entertain the broader population.

Another annual cultural celebration is the "Survival" concert held each year on January 26. Originally, this was held at La Perouse because of its historical significance but since 1998 it has been held at Waverley Oval. The concert celebrates the survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society and culture across all art forms.

In 1997, the City of Sydney played host to the first of the four Olympic Arts Festivals held in the lead-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The Festival of the Dreaming was dedicated to the presentation and promotion of Indigenous culture, primarily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, with some international involvement, and events were held in the NSW State Library, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Opera House and The Wharf at Walsh Bay.

Organisations like the National Aboriginal & Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) and the Bangarra Dance Theatre, both located in The Rocks, provide training and professional performances of Aboriginal stories from around the country to audiences in Sydney, interstate and overseas.

NAISDA’s performances in Sydney have included "Sharing Gaiai" (1995), "Murrakupini Yo Yi" (1996),"Mura Kaimel: The Journey of Bia" (1997), and "Ranggajeerna: Can You Hear the Echo" (1998) and they are always popular at Survival Concerts each January.

Bangarra’s performance successes in Sydney include "Praying Mantis Dreaming" (1992), "Ninni" (1994), "Ochres" (1995), "Dance Clan" (in association with City of Sydney in 1998 and 1999) and "Rites" in 2000. One of the highlights of Bangarra’s repertoire was the performance of the "Awakening Ceremony" which opened the Festival of the Dreaming on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in 1997. As part of the Festival, Bangarra also performed "Fish" at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.

The appropriation of Aboriginal art work has become a political and cultural issue in more recent times but it has been happening for years. It is well-known that non-Aboriginal artists like Martin Boyd produced "Aboriginal-inspired" pieces of art in the 1960’s with his kitsch pottery including wall pieces and ceramic boomerang cocktail dishes. Studio Anna in Marrickville also appropriated Aboriginal art and produced plates and earthenware with pseudo-Aboriginal designs. These pieces are currently held by the Powerhouse Museum.

Since the establishment of Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative in 1987, there has been no shortage of Aboriginal expression through the visual arts in Sydney. Boomalli, originally in Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, and now located in Annandale, has enabled Aboriginal art to contribute to the cultural activities of the city. Some of the exhibitions that have been held in the past decade within the city’s boundaries include: "Blak on Trak" (1997), "Chip on the Shoulder" (1996), and "Black Boys" (1996).

Yiribana Gallery at the Art Gallery of New South Wales is the home of a uniquely important collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Opened in 1994, the name Yiribana acknowledges the Eora people and their descendants and simply means "this way". The majority of the artworks in the collection have been produced since 1945.

Yiribana's permanent collection (developed by acquisitions and donations to the Gallery) includes bark paintings, works on paper, Tutini or Pukumani poles (grave posts), sculptures and installation works. As well as changing their major exhibitions, Yiribana also hosts travelling exhibitions.

The Djamu Gallery opened at the former Sydney Customs House at Circular Quay in 1998 and closed in 2000. ‘Djamu’ (pronounced jar-moo) is an Eora word meaning "I am Here", and the Djamu Gallery was a multi-dimensional experience of art, culture and history. It was a meeting place for ideas, visions and artistic expression. A venture of the Australian Museum, it showcased rarely seen collections, as well as artworks and cultural objects from Indigenous communities and keeping places. Djamu’s exhibitions (1999-2000) included "Mapping our Countries" and "Menthen…Queue Here".

Opened in May 2000, "Bayagul: contemporary Indigenous communication" is a permanent gallery housed at the Powerhouse Museum showcasing contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works in the areas of tourism, fashion, performing arts, and media.

The Museum of Sydney has also provided a venue for the exhibition and promotion of Indigenous arts and culture. It offers a number of exhibitions and public programs specifically related to Indigenous society and culture. Opened in 1997, the gallery Cadigal Place honours the Cadigal people, the clan on whose land the museum now stands. Another tribute to the Indigenous people of Sydney is the mural "Burraburragal: People of the Harbour", designed and painted by Visual Arts students in consultation with Sydney Elders. The mural aims to evoke the heart of Aboriginal life around Sydney Harbour.

Wuganmagulya (Farm Cove) is an installation honouring the original Yura clans of the site and those Indigenous people who held ceremonies here. Incorporating such elements as stained concrete, terrazzo and engravings, the work is integrated into the harbourside pathway at Farm Cove and acknowledges the Indigenous life and natural elements of the surrounding environment by the use of colour and texture. It was created by Brenda Croft, a Gurindji woman, who is a founding member of Bommalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative. Wuganmagulya (Farm Cove) is part of the Sydney Sculpture Walk commissioned by the City of Sydney.

	Wuganmagulya (Farm Cove)by Brenda Croft. Part of the Sydney Sculpture Walk. (photo: City of Sydney)

Music hasn’t had as high a profile as the visual arts in the city, but it is common to see Aboriginal bands like Tiddas or soloists like Jimmy Little playing in local pubs and even around the Sydney Opera House on Sunday afternoons. These gigs follow in the steps of people like Mac Silva, Black Lace and Col Hardy who all began their careers at the Foundation of Aboriginal Affairs in George Street in the 1960s.

1994 saw the launch of the anti-racism campaign by the NSW Local Aboriginal Land Council at Sydney Opera House where its theme song "Melting Pot" was performed by Brenda Webb.

Gadigal Information Services have been active in putting Indigenous music out over the airwaves via Koori Radio and organising Klub Kooris in city venues. In 1999, GIS released the first compilation of Sydney-based Indigenous musicians on a CD titled "Yabun", a Sydney language word meaning "music made by singing or beating time".

Aboriginal writers now play a role in the Spring Writing Festival held in the grounds of the old Rozelle Hospital and the Sydney Writers’ Festival held at Walsh Bay. Some of those who have been involved include Cathy Craigie, Gerry Bostock, Philip McLaren, Burraga Gutya, Ruby Langford-Ginibi, Anita Heiss, Norm Newlin, and Connie McDonald.