Spears taken by Captain Cook are being repatriated from a museum in England to be brought home to Australia. Image source: Suicasmo, via Wikimedia Commons
Four spears stolen from the Indigenous Gweagal people over 250 years ago have been returned to the La Perouse Aboriginal Community.
The spears were crafted 254 years ago and are among 40 recorded as being taken onto the Endeavor, Captain Cook’s ship, in 1770.
The artefacts were presented to Cambridge University’s Trinity College in 1771 by Britain’s naval chief, Lord Sandwich, and were held at the college’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
The museum agreed to repatriate the spears to the La Perouse Aboriginal Community in March 2023.
The repatriation is significant both culturally and historically, as the spears are some of the first items taken by the British from First Nations people in Australia.
Director of the museum, Professor Nicholas Thomas, discusses how the artefacts are representative of first contact between Captain Cook’s explorers and the Indigenous people.
“They are the first artefacts collected by the British from any part of Australia, that remain extant and documented,” said Thomas.
“They reflect the beginnings of a history of misunderstanding and conflict. Their significance will be powerfully enhanced through return to country.”
The spears will be returned to Australia and cared for at the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney. They will later be showcased at a visitor centre that is in the process of being built on country at Kurnell.
The La Perouse Aboriginal Community who facilitated the repatriation includes members who are direct descendants of the Gweagal who originally crafted the spears.
David Johnson and Quaiden Williams Riley are descendants of a Dharawal man named Paddy Davis, who was injured the day Captain Cook landed at Botany Bay.
Johnson and Williams Riley have travelled to Cambridge to collect the spears and return them to Australia. A formal ceremony was held Tuesday morning to hand back the spears.
I feel like we’ve followed in the footsteps of our ancestors to finally reach the conclusion of getting these spears back,” said Williams Riley.
“I feel proud we’ve accomplished something for our community and maybe this accomplishment will impact other communities as well.
“It’s definitely going to be an emotional moment for our community. My grandmother used to talk about it to my grandfather. It’s come full circle now that we’re finally here to bring them back home to our community.”
