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250 years ago, on 28 April 1770, James Cook landed on the Australian shore and claimed the land for the British crown, an act that would ultimately lead to the colonisation of the continent and the dispossession of Australia's Indigenous peoples. Last year's 250th anniversary of Cook's arrival provides us with the chance to engage with texts, images and films dealing with arrivals, first encounters and explorations of various kinds, from the colonial era to the present day, while reflecting critically on commemorative events in Australia. Texts under discussion will include travel reports by James Cook, Joseph Banks and Watkin Tench, narratives by Indigenous writers Philip McLaren and Doris Pilkington (Nugi Garimara) as well as a number of excerpts from literary as well as critical texts.
Texts:
- Philip McLaren, Sweet Water, Stolen Land (1993; any edition will do)
- Doris Pilkington, Rabbit-Proof Fence (1996, miramax books) (make sure not to purchase a version for young readers!)
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