Butchulla Monument steps towards reconciliation
Peter Olds (Olds Engineering where the shields were cast), Monument designer Uncle Glen Miller, Member for Hervey Bay Adrian Tantari, State Minister for Seniors and Disability Services and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Craig Crawford, Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders and Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour helped unveil the Butchulla Warriors Monument.
A monument to the Butchulla People unveiled in Queen Park, Maryborough ties together many threads, Butchulla Elder Glen Miller said.
“The Butchulla Warriors’ Monument is a bronze sculpture that helps us remember and celebrate the deeds of warriors who fought in some of the worst conflicts our world has ever witnessed,” he said.
“Aboriginal men were involved in a very long conflict that began in Australia on the 26th of January 1788 and continued for over a hundred years.
“This conflict has never been recognised, is rarely mentioned, and is one in which many Aboriginal warriors lost their lives in defence of their country.
“The monument also helps people remember and celebrates the connection the Butchulla community, the traditional owners of the Fraser Coast, have with the area.”
The sculpture shows three Butchulla shields lying on the ground as Butchulla defenders would have dropped them: each shield has a musket ball hole.
The three shields commemorate the three Butchulla Lores: What is good for the land comes first; Do not touch or take anything that does not belong to you, and If you have plenty, you must share.
There is also a plaque outlining the reason for the monument and an interpretation of the sculpture.
Mr Miller sees it as part of the Fraser Coast embracing its proud Butchulla heritage and acknowledging the painful past.
The monument supports connection with the Butchulla community and helps us work towards reconciliation, Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said.
“The Fraser Coast is recognising its Indigenous people, the conflict between the Butchulla and Europeans during colonisation and reconciliation,” Cr Seymour said.
“The Fraser Coast is taking steps towards reconciliation by recognising the Indigenous lives lost and the Butchulla People’s connection to country.
“We are trying to heal wounds and show that we are looking ahead by sharing our histories and stories through monuments and murals such as that on Maryborough library, which celebrates The Legends of Moonie Jarl, which was illustrated by Mr Miller's mother, Olga Miller, and written by his uncle, Wilf Reeves.
“There is also a mural depicting the history of fishing on the Fraser Coast, which has been painted on the side wall of the Urangan Fisheries facing Fishermans Park.
“The Butchulla People have been fishing these waters for thousands of years. They taught the early European settlers how to fish here and worked on many local fishing boats.
“There is also the Butchulla Monument – a stylised dance ring - on the Esplanade in Hervey Bay and the totem poles and storylines interwoven into the Hervey Bay All Abilities Playground.”
Making the Queens Park monument involved bringing together the old and new.
Mr Miller received photos of Butchulla shields from the University of Queensland’s Anthropology Museum, which he used as a guide to create replicas from local cabbage palm trees.
The replicas were taken to a local gun club, where they were fired on with black powder weapons to create wounds and damage similar to those fired on by muskets.
The damaged shields were then used as moulds by Olds Engineering in Maryborough staff to create the castings.
The musket shot holes are a haunting reminder of how unequal the battle was and the bravery of the Indigenous people in the face of advanced weaponry, Mr Miller said.
“Traditionally, in conflicts between Aboriginal tribes, spears were thrown that were then thrown back at the other side during the conflict,” he said.
“The sculpture shows the result of the unequal match between spear and musket, defender and intruder and asks the observer to imagine what must have happened when Butchulla men threw all their spears and stood there waiting for them to be thrown back – but instead were cut down by musket balls.
“Looking at the shield damage, they were no defence.”
Despite that sad history, the monument is a celebration of the survival of the Butchulla people and its traditions since settlement.
The monument allows us to understand and connect with the Butchulla community and helps to guide us all along the pathway to reconciliation,” Cr Seymour said.
The reaction to the monument has heartened Mr Miller.
“For me, 50 per cent of the project has been remembering the past, and 50 per cent of the project has been about fostering reconciliation,” he said.
“I am heartened by the number of people who have stepped up to help and support the project from outside of the Aboriginal community.
“It shows that there’s real community support for reconciliation. This is not forced or driven by government.
“The community has supported it as a formal statement from the community which recognises what happened, so we don’t forget and make the same mistakes again, and we can move forward.”
The monument was built with financial support from the Fraser Coast Regional Council and $27,500 in community donations.
Council and Butchulla Men’s Business Aboriginal Association recognise and thank the following for their financial contributions to this monument:
- Nadia and Rob Campbell, Goondicum Pastoral Co, Monto
- Downer Group, Maryborough
- Butchulla descendant Wayne Miller, Canberra ACT
- Bruce Saunders MP, Member for Maryborough
- Brad Crosbie, WYLD Projects Aboriginal Corporation, Bundaberg
- Terry Long, Evans Head NSW
- John Lange and Dr Bronwen Long, Hervey Bay
- Hayes Metal Pty Ltd, NSM
- Mike and Shelley Jackson, Maryborough
- Chris and Carol Hyne, Maryborough
- Daniel Kennedy Concreting Pty Ltd, Maryborough
- Maryborough Services and Citizens’ Memorial Club, Maryborough
- Fraser Coast Regional Council
The support provided by Olds Engineering, Maryborough, is also acknowledged.
Their work commitment and moral and emotional attachment have been enduring. Notably, the work and tireless effort of apprentices Lachlan Hansen and Calen Simpson are noted.
Fraser Coast Chronicle journalist Carlie Walker is acknowledged for her continual support towards the project and her articles written online.
Watch the story behind the monument here - https://youtu.be/Hkr8hczpX6E