 In 1951 when five low-lying islands were reclaimed and joined to make the industrial Kooragang Island, the natural landscape underwent substantial change which has seen a significant loss in the physical remnants of Aboriginal occupation of the area.Following European contact and Newcastle's settlement in 1804, the rich alluvial soil of the islands in the Hunter River estuary attracted the settlers who began farming and grazing the land.Ash Island was to become a significant site for dairy farming but with regular flooding with the estuary, these practices became increasingly difficult.