Before European Settlement, the Indigenous Australian population used the river by fishing and gathering shellfish.
This had little effect on the river's natural ecology as sustainable practices were adhered to.
  In local Aboriginal languages, the Cooks River is known as Goolay'yari meaning 'pelican'.
It is generally thought that four different clans, each speaking a distinct dialect of the Darug language, inhabited the area surrounding the river.
The Bediagal clan occupied the area on the southern side of the river.
whilst on the northern side, it is generally thought that the Gameygal clan lived between the mouth of the Cooks River and the ocean.
Further west, the river was used by the Cadigal people (whose country extended north up to Port Jackson and took in the area where modern-day Sydney is now located).
Further west still and along the upper reaches of the river, the country was occupied by the Wangal people.

In 1770, Captain Cook sailed into Botany Bay and made the first written description of the river as follows: "I found a very fine stream of fresh water on the north side in the first sandy cove within the island before which a ship might lay land-locked and wood for fuel may be got everywhere."
The existence of the river appeared to make settlement a possibility, however when the First Fleet arrived the river and valley was regarded as unsuitable.
Captain John Hunter and Lieutenant Bradley both mentioned the shallowness of the water and large swamp areas.

The first land grants along the river tended to be fairly large and used mostly for grazing and timber with some fishing and lime burning at Botany Bay.
Governor Macquarie makes reference to a slender bridge in his 1810 diary, adding that "the soil is bad and neither good for tillage or pasturage".
Nevertheless, some farmers did find they could till the land and settlement along the river spread, and roads and crossings were made in several places.

In the 1830s a dam was built across the river, however, this did not provide a clean water supply and the structure itself began to damage the river's ecology by preventing tidal flushing of deposited urban silt.
A second dam was built to serve a Sugar Mill at the new village of Canterbury Vale.
The location took advantage of the water supply and barge transport.
The Mill closed in 1855, however other polluting industries were later to follow including wool washes, tanneries and boiling down works.
Despite the increasingly doubtful quality of the water, the river remained a popular place in the late nineteenth century for boating, picnics and swimming.
In 1894, artist Sydney Long painted an idyllic scene of boys swimming in the Cook's River, entitled By Tranquil Waters, which was so well received that it was bought by the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
By the 1880s tree clearing resulted in erosion, silting and expansion of reed beds, blocking river flow.

On the weekend of 25–27 May 1889, 425 millimetres (16.7 in) of rain inundated all the low-lying land.
At the height of the flood, the top of the Sugarworks Dam was covered by 3 metres (10 ft) of water.
Authorities responded to the extensive damage and loss of animals by removing the dams and weirs.
A proposed series of canals connecting the river with Sydney Harbour was not commenced.
A sewage farm operated near the mouth of the river from 1889 to 1916.
A railway was used in both the construction of mains and filtration buildings, as well as in the day-to-day operation, moving screened solids throughout the farm.

Concreting of the river banks commenced in the 1930s and the Cooks River Improvement Act of 1946 confirmed the policy of the tidying up of an undisciplined stream within neat cement boundaries.
Engineers diverted the original river mouth to accommodate Sydney Airport runways.

Initiatives from 1976 onwards have attempted to preserve and return the natural features of the river system with tree planting, pollution traps and landscaping.
Footpaths and a cycle track were built to increase recreational use of the river.
The NSW State Govern
Before European Settlement, the Indigenous Australian population used the river by fishing and gathering shellfish. This had little effect on the river's natural ecology as sustainable practices were adhered to.   In local Aboriginal languages, the Cooks River is known as Goolay'yari meaning 'pelican'. It is generally thought that four different clans, each speaking a distinct dialect of the Darug language, inhabited the area surrounding the river. The Bediagal clan occupied the area on the southern side of the river. whilst on the northern side, it is generally thought that the Gameygal clan lived between the mouth of the Cooks River and the ocean. Further west, the river was used by the Cadigal people (whose country extended north up to Port Jackson and took in the area where modern-day Sydney is now located). Further west still and along the upper reaches of the river, the country was occupied by the Wangal people.
In 1770, Captain Cook sailed into Botany Bay and made the first written description of the river as follows: "I found a very fine stream of fresh water on the north side in the first sandy cove within the island before which a ship might lay land-locked and wood for fuel may be got everywhere." The existence of the river appeared to make settlement a possibility, however when the First Fleet arrived the river and valley was regarded as unsuitable. Captain John Hunter and Lieutenant Bradley both mentioned the shallowness of the water and large swamp areas.
The first land grants along the river tended to be fairly large and used mostly for grazing and timber with some fishing and lime burning at Botany Bay. Governor Macquarie makes reference to a slender bridge in his 1810 diary, adding that "the soil is bad and neither good for tillage or pasturage". Nevertheless, some farmers did find they could till the land and settlement along the river spread, and roads and crossings were made in several places.
In the 1830s a dam was built across the river, however, this did not provide a clean water supply and the structure itself began to damage the river's ecology by preventing tidal flushing of deposited urban silt. A second dam was built to serve a Sugar Mill at the new village of Canterbury Vale. The location took advantage of the water supply and barge transport. The Mill closed in 1855, however other polluting industries were later to follow including wool washes, tanneries and boiling down works. Despite the increasingly doubtful quality of the water, the river remained a popular place in the late nineteenth century for boating, picnics and swimming. In 1894, artist Sydney Long painted an idyllic scene of boys swimming in the Cook's River, entitled By Tranquil Waters, which was so well received that it was bought by the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. By the 1880s tree clearing resulted in erosion, silting and expansion of reed beds, blocking river flow.
On the weekend of 25–27 May 1889, 425 millimetres (16.7 in) of rain inundated all the low-lying land. At the height of the flood, the top of the Sugarworks Dam was covered by 3 metres (10 ft) of water. Authorities responded to the extensive damage and loss of animals by removing the dams and weirs. A proposed series of canals connecting the river with Sydney Harbour was not commenced. A sewage farm operated near the mouth of the river from 1889 to 1916. A railway was used in both the construction of mains and filtration buildings, as well as in the day-to-day operation, moving screened solids throughout the farm.
Concreting of the river banks commenced in the 1930s and the Cooks River Improvement Act of 1946 confirmed the policy of the tidying up of an undisciplined stream within neat cement boundaries. Engineers diverted the original river mouth to accommodate Sydney Airport runways.
Initiatives from 1976 onwards have attempted to preserve and return the natural features of the river system with tree planting, pollution traps and landscaping. Footpaths and a cycle track were built to increase recreational use of the river. The NSW State Govern
Cooks River