<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/01/bristol-returns-cultural-artefacts-larrakia-australia>
"For decades, they have languished in storage in the basement of a museum in
the English West Country. Finally, an extraordinary collection of weapons and
ceremonial objects taken from the Larrakia people more than a century ago is
beginning a winding journey home to the saltwater landscapes of the Northern
Territory in Australia.
During an emotionally charged ceremony, Bristol city council formally handed
over 33 objects including spears that would have been used to hunt creatures
from fish to buffalo, some still gleaming with the red ochre used to decorate
them.
They will be flown to Melbourne and then taken by truck to Garramilla/Darwin –
road is the only option because at three metres some of the spears are too long
to be transported on a domestic flight – and the plan is to show them at the
Larrakia cultural centre, which is scheduled to open on a site overlooking
Darwin harbour next year.
“It’s a good day, very important,” said Nigel Browne, a Larrakia and Wulna man
who was in Bristol to receive the objects. “This is the end of a four-year
journey. To see the return of these cultural objects that were taken from
Larrakia is very significant. They are the tools of our trade as ancient
huntsmen, fishermen. They have been gone a long time.
“They’ll be used not only to admire back home, but also teach a new generation
of Larrakia how to craft spears that our ancestors were very adept at making.
It’s not just about the past here. It’s about the future, teaching the next
generation about their heritage.”
Browne said museums across Australia and around the world held hundreds of such
objects: “That’s the same for many different groups, not just Larrakia. Objects
were taken over many years.”
He said other institutions should look at what Bristol had done: “It puts them
in a leading role internationally and can be used as an example as to what good
can happen.”"
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
