Resistance and Colonisation

Tommy McRae was an artist of the Kwatkwat people whose works recount what life was like during the era of colonisation, giving us a firsthand account of the lives of Aboriginal people in the state of Victoria. His detailed ink drawings show scenes of his Community—including hunting, fishing and various ceremonies—but also some European and Chinese figures. It was not uncommon to see European or Chinese people during this time of colonial expansion, especially after the Gold Rush of the 1850s. Drawing on the same subject, contemporary artist Michael Cook’s Undiscovered project takes a look at the European colonisation of Australia. The works in this series interrogates the notion of European explorers ‘discovering’ Australia, which resulted in the traumatic displacement of many First Nations people. The image of the ship in Undiscovered #4 represents the HMS Endeavour, a ship commanded by a British naval captain, James Cook. Yet, if you take a closer look, you can see that the figure in the centre of this work is not European but a First Nations man dressed in colonial uniform. This prompts the viewer to consider the question: Who really discovered Australia?