This coastline along the southeastern mouth of today’s Darling Harbour has a long history, starting as a native settlement over 14,000 years ago. Shortly after the British arrived in 1788, most of the Aboriginal people died from smallpox. During the 19th century, Millers Point grew as a village along with mills, warehouses and shipyards. During the first half of the 20th century, the area was severely impacted by bubonic plaque, the Great Depression and World War II. The next fifty years witnessed the rise and fall of commercial wharfs. In 2003, the NSW government announced a major new development project and named it Barangaroo in honor of a famous Aboriginal woman who died in 1791. These three office skyscrapers, known as International Towers Sydney, were built from 2013 to 2016. Additional residential, commercial, shopping and hotel properties are planned through 2023.
