<
https://theconversation.com/a-new-public-statue-of-archie-roach-and-ruby-hunter-shows-a-bright-future-for-australian-monuments-249484>
"Colonial commemorations such as the statues of James Cook or Lachlan Macquarie
have become the focus of much contestation, particularly in the annual lead up
to January 26.
As authors of the book
Monumental Disruptions: Aboriginal people and colonial
commemorations in so-called Australia, we are often contacted by media to
respond to whether colonial statues have a place in modern Australia.
Such statues create controversy because they often honour people who have
dubious histories. Journalist Paul Daley has described such statues as
“assorted bastards” who have profited from the dispossession and exploitation
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The problem with many statues is they do not represent a shared history. They
either represent colonial figures who have harmed Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples, or they represent a one-sided perspective that erases the
other.
This year we were asked to respond to a different kind of monument: a statue of
music legends Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, newly erected in the Melbourne
suburb of Fitzroy in November 2024."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
