According to the 1996 Census, 1707 residents in the Northern Sydney Region identified themselves as being Indigenous Australian (1403 Aboriginal and 304 Torres Strait Islander). Of these, 702 lived in the Manly Warringah Pittwater area. These residents originate from many different clan and language groups around the country and have moved to the area mainly for family and employment reasons. Although they are not traditional owners of the land, most would relate closely to the Aboriginal culture and heritage of the area.
649,171 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, 2.8% of the total population 2016
The 2021 Census will mark 50 years of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being included in the official estimates of the Australian population, following the amendments to the Constitution Act after the 1967 referendum. Since the 1971 Census, there has been a clear upward trend in the number of people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The 2016 count of 649,171 represented an increase of 18% from the 2011 Census.