First contact between the Gweagal Aboriginal people and Captain James Cook and his crew on the shores on the shores of Gweagal land, William Macleod, 1886
Context: “Two Gweagal men challenged the landing and gestured with their spears. Cook’s party attempted to communicate their desire for water, but the two men continued to oppose the landing and Cook fired a shot which wounded one of the Aboriginal warriors and forced them to flee.”
Following this incident Cook would stay at the site for 8 days before reporting back to England. 18 years later in 1788 the First Fleet would arrive and begin to invade/colonise the land. On Monday Australia celebrates Australia Day, a date also known as Invasion Day or Survival Day - marking the beginning of the genocide of the Aboriginal peoples and theft of their homes.
Illustration from “Australia: the first hundred years”, by Andrew Garran.
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