In April 1770, Captain Cook landed on the Gweagal clan’s traditional lands on what is Kurnell on Botany Bay. His arrival signaled the dispossession and massacre of thousands of Aboriginal people from varying nations. It is now known as the first encounter. And like so many other encounters after that, it was bloody. Two local warriors approached the Europeans, shaking their spears to warn them off. This resulted in a musket being fired from the ship, and one warrior – Cooman – was wounded in the leg. He retreated to get his shield.
Joseph Banks, a botanist, wrote in his journal – “Defensive weapons we saw only in Sting-Rays (Botany) bay and there was only a single instance – a man who attempted to oppose our Landing came down to the Beach with a shield of an oblong shape about three feet long and one 1/4 broad made of the bark of a tree; this he left behind when he ran away and we found upon taking it up that it plainly had been pierced through with a single pointed lance near the centre.” But the Gweagal say that hole is most likely the result of a gun shot.
Captain Cook and his men stole that shield, as well as every hunting and fishing spear from the camp. It is now held in the British Museum, who refuse to give it back, unless it is on loan. Rodney Kelly is a direct descendant of the warrior Cooman, and first saw his ancestor’s shield at the controversial Encounters exhibition. He is now fighting to get it returned to his mob.
Rodney is running a crowdfunding campaign to support him to get over to Britain to meet with the British Museum. You can help out by donating here, or even sharing the story.