How to Record a Painful History

A conversation with respected Boon Wurrung Elder Aunty Fay Stewart-Muir (Boon Wurrung/Wemba Wemba) and historian Marguerita Stephens. 

Join us for a not to be missed discussion on recording and sharing the truths of a colonial past. Aunty Fay Stewart-Muir and Marguerita Stephens will share their experience of collaborating across cultures to create their ground-breaking work Years of Terror: Banbu-deen: Kulin & Colonists at Port Phillip 1835-1851.

Why did Billibellary and other Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung clansmen and women parley with Batman on the banks of the Merri Creek in June 1835? And what befell the clans in the decade and a half that followed that fateful encounter with Britain’s Empire? Based primarily on the daily journal of Assistant Protector William Thomas, this work meticulously documents the lives, and deaths, of those who struggled to hold their Country. 

Banbu-deen is a groundbreaking work that reveals hidden stories of colonisation. It unveils the haunting years of invasion, often referred to as the 'years of terror,' providing an invaluable resource that unlocks the details, characters, and insights within Thomas's journals.   

The collaboration between Stephens and Aunty Fay Stewart-Muir makes William Thomas's extensive work even more accessible, ensuring that this book will stand as a timeless resource for years to come.  

Banbu-deen is a testament to the resilience and determination of the Kulin Nation and a call for a deeper understanding of our shared heritage.   

This event will be MC’d by Georgina Arnott from the Australian Book Review. 

"This book is a remarkable achievement" -- Dr. Billy Griffiths. 

Books will be available to purchase from local bookseller Books and Paper during the event. 

BOOKINGS

 

 

When

Location

Williamstown Library, 104 Ferguson St, Williamstown, 3016, View Map