Aboriginal warriors – Australian Frontier Conflicts

Four Gweagal spears stolen by Captain Cook and crew in 1770 returned to La Perouse community, New South Wales, 254 years later

jane2024-04-24T17:06:03+10:00April 24th, 2024|

Kathryn Diss and Adrian Wilson, 'Emotional moment' as spears taken by Captain Cook are returned to Indigenous community, from ABC Europe correspondent, Kathryn Diss, and Adrian Wilson, in Cambridge, England, 23 April 2024. Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-23/gweagal-spears-captain-cook-took-handed-to-indigenous-community/103756446 See also Ben Lewis's story on SBS News, 24 April 2024: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/survivors-from-a-moment-in-time-ancient-spears-handed-back/0i85urkau On [...]

After the (failed) referendum dust settles

jane2024-04-05T12:32:35+11:00April 5th, 2024|

Peter Smith, 'After the (failed) referendum dust settles,' Pearls and Irritations, 19 March 2024: https://johnmenadue.com/after-the-failed-referendum-dust-settles/

How (hard) They Fought: sophistication of First Nations’ resistance

jane2023-05-08T13:32:36+10:00May 8th, 2023|

John Menadue's online Public Policy Journal, Pearls and Irritations, brings the caring and concerned among us more news about Dr Ray Kerhove's new book, How They Fought, Boolarong Press, 2023 about how First Peoples fought to resist invasion and colonisation of Country from 1788: Read Dr Kerhove's 1 May [...]

More calls for Australia’s frontier wars to be remembered

jane2023-04-26T11:11:15+10:00April 26th, 2023|

As Aaron Smith writes in The Guardian, unofficial recognition has been growing of those killed on Australian soil in colonial frontier conflicts, but official commemoration is still being debated. Read more in Aaron Smith's story on 24 April 2023: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/24/calls-grow-for-australias-frontier-wars-to-be-remembered-on-anzac-day Chair of the Council of the Australian War Memorial [...]

“Help Us Bury Our Dead” on 25 April 2023

jane2023-04-21T11:50:55+10:00April 21st, 2023|

Media Release 20 April 2023 "Help Us Bury Our Dead on 25 April 2023" Sovereign Union of First Nations and Peoples in Australia Asserting Australia's First Nations Sovereignty into Governance www.sovereignunion.mobi Ghillar, Michael Anderson, Convenor of the Sovereign Union, last surviving member of the founding four of the [...]

New book reveals sophistication of Indigenous tactics during Australia’s frontier wars

jane2023-04-19T08:55:16+10:00April 19th, 2023|

A much-needed publication is now available on how First Nations used tactics during Australia's frontier conflicts. Queensland historian Dr Ray Kerkhove has spent many years of research into how First Nations resisted colonisation, revealed in his book How They Fought: Indigenous Tactics and Weaponry of Australia's Frontier Wars. Among the [...]

Frontier Wars: Aboriginal guerillas deserve Australian War Memorial recognition, Kim Beazley says

jane2023-04-10T19:28:21+10:00April 10th, 2023|

'Aboriginal resistance to British invasion should get its own "substantial" section at the Australian War Memorial,' according to Kim Beazley, the new head of the Memorial's council. He says that a frontier wars gallery should display both sides of the conflict, including the resistance of First Natiuons "guerillas". Read [...]

Will the Australian War Memorial commemorate First Nations warriors in any new exhibitions?

jane2022-12-20T13:16:53+11:00December 20th, 2022|

Guest author, Bruce Cameron, writes on Pearls and Irritations, 18 December 2022: https://johnmenadue.com/will-jandamarra-have-a-place-in-the-new-awm/

Yagan story told on ‘Stuff the British Stole’

jane2022-12-08T08:45:40+11:00December 8th, 2022|

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's podcast and TV series, Stuff the British Stole, Series 1, has devoted its sixth episode, 'Return', to Noongar warrior Yagan's story. The documentary examines how Yagan met his death defending Noongar country from British colonists. His remains were missing for more than a century. The fight [...]

Recognising the warriors: Henry Reynolds on the AWM’s surprising change of direction

jane2022-10-14T18:07:35+11:00October 8th, 2022|

Professor Henry Reynolds discusses the Australian War Memorial's change of tack about recognising the Australian frontier wars, The Conversation, 6 October 2022: https://theconversation.com/recognising-the-warriors-henry-reynolds-on-the-war-memorials-surprising-change-of-direction-191861