Presented by Ray Ingrey from the La Perouse Aboriginal community, and Dr Paul Irish, archaeologist and director of heritage consultancy Coast History & Heritage.

Lieutenant James Cook set foot on the Australian mainland on the 29th of April 1770 at a place he later called Botany Bay. But it already had a name – Kamay. Aboriginal people had been living around Kamay for thousands of years, in fact since before it even existed as a bay. The very spot where Cook and his crew forced their way onshore was a large fishing camp that had been in use for many generations. Typically, Cook’s visit is portrayed as an ‘exploration’ or ‘discovery’ but it is only Cook and his crew that are seen to be the discoverers. Despite the COVID-19 lockdown muting recent commemorations of the 250th anniversary of Cook’s visit, this view has been challenged by local Aboriginal community members in media coverage of the event, reminding us that Aboriginal people saw Cook’s arrival through the lens of their cultural understanding of the world. Some of these perspectives have been recorded in a landmark exhibition by the National Museum of Australia that Ray and a team of researchers from La Perouse worked on, as he will discuss (you can get a preview from the exhibition here - https://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/endeavour-voyage/kamay-botany-bay). The idea of ‘discovery’ also rests on an assumption that Aboriginal people led unchanging lives, waiting to be ‘found’. But archaeological evidence reveals a very different and dynamic picture as Paul will explore (you can read about some Kamay archaeological sites here - https://www.sydstories.com.au/#/chapter/1).

After the discussion there will be time for questions. 

When: 6.30-8pm (Sydney time / AEST), Tuesday 19 May 2020

Where: Free online seminar streamed via Zoom (registration details below) 

Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5lVt-yNmTYq3p-oDrR679g

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Image credit: Kamay 1770 (Courtesy National Library of Australia)