Bermagui’s Rodney “Murrum” Kelly returns from his second trip to the UK this week, a trip that saw him give an impromptu talk inside the British Museum.
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During his visit to lobby for the repatriation of artefacts taken during the Gweagal people’s first interaction with the British in 1770, Mr Kelly also met with Gaye Sculthorpe, curator and section head of the museum’s Oceania exhibit.
Dr Sculthorpe, a former member of the National Native Title Tribunal, advised Mr Kelly the museum is currently undertaking research into how they came into possession of the shield, at the request of the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council.
“She said the Gweagal shaping ranges from Sydney to Port Maquarie, but she said they believe it came from [Joseph] Banks, and it is the shield from Botany Bay in 1770.
“She also said the chances are pretty good it would be allowed to go on display in Sydney for a 2020 exhibit.”
Mr Kelly feels any dispute can be put to rest by testing the ocher remaining on the shield.
“I’m pretty sure if we get scientists to take samples from around Sydney it would match to the shield,” he said.
During his talk inside the museum Mr Kelly told the crowd the extraordinary history of the shield and demanded its return to the Gweagal people.
“After my talk, museum staff said it was really informative because they didn’t know the history of the shield,” he said.
“The security guards were great, they were sympathetic, and allowed me to talk in the front area of the museum where I wasn’t supposed to.”
During his time in Britain he connected with many activists, and people willing to help put pressure on British politicians to become involved.
“I have really made good contacts here, this trip has been really productive,” he said.
Mr Kelly also received a 72 page report, created with the help of Dr Shayne Williams and Dr Maria Nugent, from the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology’s sub-committee on artefact repatriation, stating their spears were taken “without the consent of the Gweagal people” and “some ribbons and trinkets” left as compensation.
The report defines the “lawfulness of the acquisition” as hard to assess, and says “the spears would almost certainly not have survived” had they not been taken.
“I wouldn’t care if the British didn’t take it, and we didn’t still have them now because we come from the earth and we go back to the earth because it’s the cycle,” Mr Kelly said.
He said the museum did not meet with him, despite being aware he would be visiting.
“A lady pulled me up in the street, asked me if I was Rodney Kelly and said everyone in the museum is talking about me,” Mr Kelly said.
Mr Kelly’s next move is to lobby the prime minister’s office for a response, after Senator James McGrath’s comments were quoted in the report from Cambridge.
Speaking on behalf of the government in October 2016, Mr McGrath said “Australian law recognises the legal title of the ... Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to these artefacts”.
Mr Kelly said Malcolm Turnbull’s wife Lucy is aware of his struggle.
“She was invited to a lecture, but expressed her regret she couldn’t make it because she had something else on,” Mr Kelly said.