By reframing a period of Australian history, the assimilation era (1935-1975), we will demonstrate the active intervention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people in public affairs through performances of music and dance. The project will collaborate with present-day communities aiming to construct an alternative history of cultural resilience and agency.

Outcomes directed at academic, community and public audiences aim to better inform debates on Australian identity, support the work of contemporary practitioners, build international networks and validate histories hitherto hidden at the heart of Australian nationhood.

Investigators

• Professor Linda Barwick, Lead Investigator, University of Sydney
• Dr Lyndon Ormond-Parker, University of Melbourne
• Matt Poll, University of Sydney
• Tiriki Onus, University of Melbourne
• Professor Rachel Fensham, University of Melbourne
• Dr Amanda Harris, University of Sydney
• Professor Jakelin Troy, University of Sydney
• Associate Professor Jacqueline Shea Murphy, University of California

Featured image (top of the page): signed back of a boomerang made in 1983 by NSW performers and artists Stan Roach and Ben Blackeney OAM. Donated to Macleay Collections by Beth Dean and Victor Carell.