Today exclusionary historical narratives are widely scrutinised and challenged, including in museums. Previously sidelined at the margins of a presumptive dominant culture, ‘hidden histories’ have been uncovered and elevated to highlight the truth of social, cultural and political diversity. Increasingly the role of historiography in advancing imposed power structures is being challenged. We have seen exclusionary narratives scrutinised and critiqued by First Nations knowledge keepers, anti-racist, feminist and queer activists and working-class movements and, in response, these narratives have become incorporated into the telling of Australia’s national story.
This panel discussion features people actively working to give voice to marginalised communities and to provide historical interpretation that is complex, dynamic, inclusive and, where necessary, provocative.
A Ballarat Heritage Festival event presented by the Eureka Centre.
CHAIR
Jade Hadfield is Exhibitions Curator, State Library Victoria. A Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Whatua woman from New Zealand, Jade has been in Melbourne since 2011. She has worked in the cultural sector since 2007 in extremely diverse roles covering outreach, communications, public programs and conservation. Her previous appointments have been at Te Papa, the Grimwade Centre, ICCROM, The Koorie Heritage Trust, Artcare, and Museums Victoria with the Te Pasifika Gallery Redevelopment Project, focusing on community engagement. Jade's interests are in diversifying the cultural sector and brokering the space between collecting institutions and Indigenous Communities. Jade has a BA in Art History from Victoria University (Wellington) and Masters in Conservation of Cultural Materials from the University of Melbourne.
PANELISTS
Kait James
As a proud Wadawurrung woman, Kait James’ work explores her identity as an Australian with both Anglo and Indigenous heritage. Her work asks questions relating to identity, perception and our knowledge of Australia’s Indigenous communities. Utilising Punch Needling techniques, she embroiders kitsch found materials, such as souvenir tea towels, that reference colonial settlements and histories, and subverts them with Indigenous imagery and familiar references. Through the use of humour and vivid colours, Kait addresses the way white western culture has dominated Australia’s history, and her personal reflections on her Indigenous heritage.
Craig Middleton
Craig Middleton (he/him) is a Senior Curator at the National Museum of Australia and an Honorary Lecturer at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. At the National Museum of Australia, he is responsible for creative, content, and collections development across a range of projects and programs within the Discovery and Collections division. He is a widely published author and his book, co-authored with Dr Nikki Sullivan, Queering the Museum was published by Routledge in 2019. His commitment to LGBTIQ+ representation has informed his work in museums, including through the creation of tours, programs, exhibitions, and research.
Dr Mariko Smith
Dr Mariko Smith (she/her) is a Yuin woman with Japanese heritage. She undertakes an interdisciplinary practice encompassing museology, contemporary art, visual sociology, research methodology, and history. Mariko has worked in the museum and tertiary sectors in Sydney, specialising in Aboriginal cultural heritage, community-based cultural resurgence projects, and incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing into museum and artistic practices. She is currently the Manager, First Nations Collections & Engagement at the Australian Museum, and an Honorary Associate at the University of Sydney. Mariko has a PhD from the University of Sydney (Department of Sociology & Social Policy) about the cultural resurgence of Aboriginal tied-bark canoe making in south-eastern Aboriginal communities. She was Assistant Curator on the Australian Museum's ‘Unsettled’ exhibition.
Image: Kait James, ‘Hungry for Land’ 2019 [detail], Wool, cotton on printed cotton, Epworth Foundation Collection. Courtesy of the artist and Neon Parc.
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