MUNDURUCU
In 1644 Abel Tasman charts stretches of Australia’s northern coastline. His voyage helps expand European knowledge of the continent, which becomes widely known on European maps as New Holland. Yet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have already lived here for tens of thousands of years, with evidence of human occupation reaching back around 65,000 years.
The continent’s varied landscapes are home to remarkable animals, from kangaroos to lyrebirds capable of imitating a wide range of sounds. Indigenous communities maintain diverse languages, artistic traditions and deep connections with Country.
In 1770 James Cook claims the eastern coast for Britain and names it New South Wales. A British penal settlement follows in 1788. Colonisation brings profound and often devastating changes to Indigenous communities. The historical images in this collection offer glimpses of body decoration, ceremony and daily life, seen through the perspectives of their makers.