A meeting is being held to promote awareness of a historic massacre that occurred in the New England region in the nineteenth century as a means of reconciliation between Aboriginal and other Australians in the twenty-first century.
Anyone interested in participating is invited to attend the inception meeting of the Armidale branch of the Friends of Myall Creek which is being hosted by the New England Regional Art Museum at 5.15pm on Thursday 25 May 2017.
On the 10th June 1838 a group of eleven convicts and ex-convict stockmen led by a squatter, brutally slaughtered a group of twenty-eight Aboriginal people camped peacefully at the station of Myall Creek, the perpetrators were later caught and put on trial, the only time that this happened in Australian history.
“We are inviting residents of the New England region to get involved in this new group which will promote local awareness of this terrible tragedy and see it as a way to promote reconciliation,” said Adam Blakester, Member of the National Committee of the Friends of Myall Creek. “We organise the annual Memorial event and are working towards the establishment of a special Myall Creek Education and Cultural Centre on the site in the future.”
“This meeting will include a discussion with Kelvin Brown, Brian Donnelly and Adam Blakester from the National Committee and will also be an opportunity to get an update on plans for this year’s Memorial event which is being held near the site of the Myall Creek Massacre on the morning of Sunday 11 June.”
“This year’s speaker at the Memorial event will be Mark Tedeschi QC whose lectures at NERAM earlier this year were completely booked out” said Robert Heather, Art Museum Director. “The New England Regional Art Museum will also be developing an exhibition about this event which we will be holding in association with the 180th anniversary of the massacre in 2018 and we will be discussing this at the meeting.”
“ NERAM is delighted to host the first meeting of this new group and hope that it will provide an opportunity for our community to participate in the annual Memorial event and create broader awareness of this tragic occurrence.”
The Friends of Myall Creek National Committee grew out of the committee who first dedicated the Myall Creek Memorial on the site in 2000 and run the annual memorial event which brings together members of the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community motivated by a sense of justice and a conviction that we must acknowledge the truth of our shared history.
Inception Meeting
Friends of Myall Creek: Armidale Chapter
5:15pm for a 5:30pm start
Thursday 25 May 2017
NERAM
RSVP by Wed 24 May
Agenda Outline
- Welcome
- Background to the idea of forming an Armidale Friends of Myall Creek group
- Brief introductions (name and interest in Myall Creek)
- Purpose of National Friends of Myall Creek work
- Purpose of Armidale Friends of Myall Creek group
- Questions
- Expressions of interest
- Thank you & close
Three members of the National Friends of Myall Creek Committee will be in attendance ~ Kelvin Brown, Brian Donnelly and Adam Blakester.
Robert Heather, Director of NERAM, will also be in attendance to talk about their project which coincides with the 180th anniversary of the Myall Creek Massacre in 2018.
Please let Adam Blakester know if you are able to attend by Wednesday 24 May 2017 – please also let him know if you are interested in the group however unable to attend the meeting.
The meeting coincides with the launch of a new exhibition at the Armidale Cultural Centre & Keeping Place by another member of the National Friends of Myall Creek Committee, Adele Chapman-Burgess.
This year’s Myall Creek Memorial will be on Sunday 11 June and you are invited!
