An exhibition highlighting the often forgotten stories and histories of First Nations people in Melbourne’s west is currently showing as part of a collaboration with Melbourne’s Living Museum of the West (MLMW) and Creative Brimbank.
MLMW Aboriginal cultural officer, and Aboriginal cultural leader and storyteller Uncle Larry Walsh wrote the story for ‘Still Here — a brief history of Aboriginal people in Melbourne’s west,’ which is told from a Koorie perspective.
Uncle Larry also researched, directed the exhibition’s design, and provided the majority of the content for the panels.
He worked closely with MLMW committee member and artist Dr Kerrie Poliness over two years to create the exhibition, which was first exhibited in 1996.
Dr Poliness said the exhibition is about giving voice to First Nations people’s stories and histories that might usually be left out.
“At that point in time [in 1996], there was a perception that there were no Aboriginal people living in Melbourne’s west. The history was invisible. So the exhibition title is addressing that perception,” she said.
Dr Poliness organised the overall design and production of the exhibition as well as the catalogue and presentation.
“[Back then] there was no kind of graphic design, desktop publishing, photoshop…The photographs are physical photographs that were printed and glued to the panels… it was really important to include the [copied] physical documents,” said Dr Poliness.
The exhibition is made up of 14 panels, which tell stories covering a range of subjects through displays of historical document copies and photographs.
“[The panels] could fit in the back of the car and be taken to different events, set up outside, set up anywhere,” said Dr Poliness.
“It was the first exhibition in Australia to use the word ‘invasion’ and call it an invasion.
“It was an amazing experience, and an enormous learning curve for me as a non-indigenous person to find out stories about what had happened to people,“ said Dr Poliness.
‘Still Here — a brief history of Aboriginal people in Melbourne’s west’ is a free exhibition showing at the Bowery Theatre in St Albans until Saturday, August 16.
