The Australian Wars

Australia has frequently struggled to equate chapters from its colonial history with contemporary values.

Tales of First Fleets and pioneer expeditions invariably include violence and deaths within Aboriginal communities but history books are largely documented through colonial eyes.

“Australia’s memory is selective,” says Rachel Perkins, filmmaker and presenter of a new SBS / NITV documentary series The Australian Wars.

Indeed, the National War Memorial may include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who served in wars since Boer War of 1899–1902 -but there is no acknowledgement of the Australians who died on home soil in colonial battles prior.

Perkins, whose own ancestors were killed in conflicts, refers to this as “the great Australian silence.”

The documentary by Blackfella Films draws heavily upon re-enactment beginning with encounters from 1790, just 2 years after Cook’s arrival. No treaty was ever forged with the Crown, land was never ceded.

While the arrival of the world’s most powerful empire began as a small, largely friendly venture, convicts who strayed were speared.

The first Governor of NSW, Arthur Phillip, opted for a strategy to capture and convince the locals of his friendly intentions. Wangal warrior Bennelong was captured but learned English quickly, serving as an intermediary until his escape. A famous exchange would later follow with Phillip speared, but surviving and not retaliating.

Seeking new land for crops in Parramatta led to conflict with the Barramattagal people and resistance from local leader Pemulwuy. 100 warriors would fight Crown troops, taking advantage of their knowledge of the land, fauna and fire.

More violence would follow in the Hawkesbury River region with the Dharawal people, when  dawn raids ordered by Governor Macquaire led to the deaths of men, women and children. The ‘Appin Massacre’ as it has become known is still the site of annual remembrance ceremonies while a rare memorial at Sackville Reach dedicated to the Aborigines of the Hawkesbury still represents deep pain.

Blackfella have gone to some trouble to renact these period theatres of war which helps drive home the tragedy and anger highlighted by Perkins.

There’s also a confronting visit by descendants to remains interred in boxes in a storage facility at the National Museum of Australian.

Those remains still await reburial.

It’s clear we still have a long way to go to closure, reconciliation, equality and to addressing an imbalance in our history books.

The Australian Wars screens 7:30pm Wednesday on SBS & NITV.