HIST 106 | AT4

HIST 106: Site Visit and Analysis

I chose to visit the Koorie Heritage Trust in King Street and found that it was a very
interesting and enlightening experience for me. After having studied the course content
during this semester, being able to find the same messages learnt from lectures and
readings in the museum helped to reinforce what I had learnt.

When the Europeans first came to Australia they caused much damage to the Native
people, with their different customs and “behaved like savages” (Broome, 2010, p.16.) to
the Natives. “The invasion of European people and animals began to transform the
landscape and change a way of life that had flourished for thousands of years.”(Koorie
Heritage Trust, 2013.) Diseases were particularly harmful as the natives had no immunity to
them and things like small pox travelled along the river system from New South Wales and
spread throughout Victoria, killing many of the clans. The Aboriginal people called it the
dust of the rainbow serpent. Not only were they facing threats from diseases but also from
white settlers who had no problems killing them. Many tribes were lost, along with their
languages and customs. They essentially lost their cultural identity because of the violence
and fighting, not to mention the children who were forcibly taken away from their families.
The introduction of western materials and goods that were forced onto the Aboriginal
people as a part of ‘assimilation’ had dramatic effects on them.

Cultural identity seems to be a very strong and important message that is represented in the
Koorie Heritage Trust Gallery. When you walk in the door you can feel the respect for
Indigenous Heritage with materials used in the building such as the big tree in the centre of
the room which is home to many animal sculptures, demonstrating the Indigenous
Australian’s connection with the land and the animals. The first exhibition on the right
called Reflections of Harmony by James Henry, a collection of photographs documenting the
Black Harmony Gathering held annually in Fairfield. (Multicultural Arts Victoria, 2013.) This
exhibition allows Indigenous peoples to celebrate and practice native traditions with other
Indigenous Australian’s.

Upstairs is another exhibition called the Waradjerie Weaver by Lorraine Connelly-Northey,

who had her own battles with her identity being from both Aboriginal and white-Australian
heritage. The introduction of western materials and goods that were forced onto the
Aboriginal people as a part of ‘assimilation’ which was talked about in week 6, had dramatic
effects on their heath and their own crafts, which the exhibition displays in the form of
traditional bags, artefacts and information about the history of the Koorie people also
demonstrates the ‘entanglement’ (Rowlands, 2011, pp.183-185.) which was talked about in
the reading for week 5, the objects show use westernised materials but are made in a
traditional style. For example, the bags are made with metals but are woven in a way that
has been done for centuries. Both of these exhibitions display Cultural Identity in the form
of art by allowing the viewer to get a glimpse of their traditional life, letting viewers feel
what they felt and learn more about their fight for equality, conveyed in a saying in big

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writing on the wall which says ‘Make us equals, not Dependants.’ “We want equality. […]
It’s not too much to ask for the recognition of our full humanity…” (William Cooper, 1936.)

Representations of Australian Indigenous peoples was talked about in week 10 during our
lectures and readings but was subtly there at the gallery. The way Indigenous Australian
people were perceived by white Australians during this time was that they were
unchanging, unable to be educated and were lesser beings and they were treated as such
with limited Civil Rights. It was considered to be culturally acceptable to treat Aboriginal people
as though they were nothing but stone aged cave men, and therefore, it was okay to collect
Indigenous traditional artefacts when they had been taken from their rightful owners. They were
also seen as drunks because their bodies couldn’t tolerate the alcohol introduced by the settlers.
This way of thinking took a long time to change and for society to see how that was wrong.

Land Rights and Native Title as mentioned in the lecture and readings in week 8, was
another important message that was present at the gallery as Civil Rights for Indigenous
peoples was a big issue that didn’t see its end until the late 1960’s. Strict Aboriginal
Protection Acts held control over the Indigenous people, restricting what rights they were
entitled to such as limited freedom of movement, freedom of marriage, the right to vote,
drink, carry guns, own dogs or even the right to control their own property. (Broome, 2010,
pp.195-196.) At the Koorie Heritage Trust in the upstairs gallery I noticed a pair of solid
metal hand cuff linked to thick chains that were hanging in one of the displays, in front of a
photo of Indigenous Australians chained together naked. I think that this was a strong
message present at the site as it showed not just how they felt emotionally weighed down
but how they were physically treated like prisoners as though their very existence was a
crime. This really made me think about the way disgusting way the Aboriginal people were
treated at the time and just seeing those heavy hand cuffs made what happened much
more real. It’s one thing to read about the history of the events that took place, but it’s
another thing entirely to feel that emotional response to the cruel treatment of other
human beings whose lands, cultures and traditions were taken from them so forcefully.

Missions and Reserves were also mentioned in some of the information displayed around
the gallery. There were recordings of Native Australian’s speaking of their own experiences
or that of their relatives, being the stolen generation. As mentioned in the lecture in week
11, on the 10th of August 1987 the Hawke government formed the Royal Commission and
launched an inquiry and examine Aboriginal deaths while in custody in response to growing
public concern. The report was tabled in May 1991 and found that there was an over-
representation of Indigenous peoples in detention and that there was a lack of support for
those in prisons to help prevent social problems and perceptions of public drunkenness.

On the 10th of December 1992 as mentioned in week 11’s lecture, Prime Minister Paul
Keating made a public recognition of wrong doings by the government, effectively kick-
starting the movement to right those wrongs and push towards Indigenous rights. This lead
to the ‘Bringing them home’ report tabled on the 26th of May 1997. Many Australian’s were

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outraged to see the findings of the report as they had previously been kept in the dark.
Then Say Sorry public campaign ran through from the 1990’s to the 2000’s. In 1998
thousands had signed sorry books across Australia. As a poster displayed at the Koorie
Heritage Trust (2013.) shows, many Australians were out raged to discover what their
government had done and in Melbourne on the 26th of May 2000, the Victorian stolen
generation rally was held on the steps of Parliament house. They were asked to bring a
white flower to place at the step in remembrance and respect for the stolen generation and
their families. Their slogan was Survival – Unity – Dignity.

Then, as spoken of during the lecture and readings of week 11, Kevin Rudd’s formal apology
to the stolen generation, on the 13th of February 2008, was a major turning point in
Australian history. It was the Australian government recognising the horrible events that
occurred to the stolen generation, as a result of the government’s attitude towards the
Native Australians, apologising for what happened and promising that such a thing would
never happen again. (Parliament of Australia – Department of Parliamentary services, 2008.)

The museums and universities around the world that had been holding onto the remains of
deceased Australian Indigenous people have recently begun the process of returning the remains to
their rightful owners such as the Charite University hospital in Berlin, who has now sent back
remains to the South Australian Museum, a decision which was approved by the Indigenous
community. At the Koorie gallery there were recorded messages of longing for those taken from
them to be brought home. This is a tangible way in which we can see the attitudes of society
becoming more accepting of Aboriginal traditions and practices, and perhaps other overseas
museums will be more inclined to return them home to their land, which was referenced to in the
film ‘One Night, One Moon’ (2001.) with a song called ‘This land is mine’ describing the Native
Australian’s connection to the land.

While we as a country have made positive steps towards equality for Indigenous Australians,
“we still have a long way to go.”(Mitchell, 2013.) Health and Education are areas that still
need attention within the Indigenous community and should be addressed by the Australian
Government. The messages shown at the Koorie Heritage Trust are there to explain
Indigenous history and customs to the general public, to help them understand the wrong-
doings of their previous governments and helping to form a positive attitude towards
Aboriginal people for future generations. Because all they want is equality.

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References

Broome, R. (2010.) Aboriginal Australians: a history since 1788 (Rev.4th Ed.) Allen & Unwin,
Crow’s Nest, N.S.W.

HIST 106 Lecture week four: The myth of Peaceful Settlement.

HIST 106 Lecture week five: Missions and Reserves.

HIST 106 Lecture week six: Assimilation Policies.

HIST 106 Lecture week seven: Child Removal.

HIST 106 Lecture week eight: Land Rights and Native Title.

HIST 106 Lecture week ten: Representations of Australian Indigenous peoples in film.

HIST 106 Lecture week eleven: Reconciliation and apology.

Koorie Heritage Trust. (2013.)

Koorie Heritage Trust. (2013.) Waradjerie Weaver Exhibition: Lorraine Connelly-Northey.

Koorie Heritage Trust. (2013.) Reflections of Harmony Exhibition: James Henry.

Mitchell, G. (2013, January 25). We still have a long way to go. Sydney Morning Herald,
Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/national/we-still-have-a-long-way-to-go-
20130124-2d9nd.html#xzz2JLXPNggG

Multicultural Arts Victoria. (2013.) Black Harmony Gathering 10 Years, Retrieved from
http://www.multiculturalarts.com.au/events2013/gathering.shtml

Parliament of Australia – Department of Parliamentary services. (2008), Prime Minister

Kevin Rudd, MP - Apology to Australia's Indigenous peoples, Retrieved May 3, 2013
from http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/our-country/our-people/apology-to-
australias-indigenous-peoples

Rowlands, S. (2011.) Entangled Frontiers: Collection, Display and the Queensland Museum,
1878-1914. Journal of Australian Colonial History. 183-206