Encounters

‘Encounters’ begins with a remarkable exhibition hosted by London’s British Museum and the Australian National Museum in Canberra. We’ll cross the continent from east to west, exploring the ways Aboriginal people resisted the invasion of their homelands. And we’ll end in the port city of Fremantle with a story of survival and reconciliation.

STOP PRESS: Since the filming of episode 9, new scholarship has called the exact provenance of the ‘Gweagal Shield’ into question. To follow the historical debate see Australian Historical Studies, vol. 49, no. 1 and subsequent issues.

Consider the big question

  • Asserting the sovereignty of Australia’s First Nation peoples

    What does it mean when objects are taken without the agreement of their owner? Does this make the institutions who acquire these objects responsible for their return? What do you think?

Bonus interview


Join Susan in the First Australian Galleries of the National Museum and meet a highly respected leader of Australia’s Indigenous community.

STOP PRESS: Since the filming of episode 9, new scholarship has called the exact provenance of the ‘Gweagal Shield’ into question. To follow the historical debate see Australian Historical Studies, vol. 49, no. 1 and subsequent issues.

Episode quiz

Please refer to Resources page for image attribution.