Joining the dots: Ṉäku Dhäruk the Yirrkala Bark Petitions which were presented in 1963, and the Western Australian connection presented by Professor Clare Wright OAM
An important annual event for both the Library and Curtin University is the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library (JCPML) Anniversary Lecture – an occasion that has been hosted by the Library since the JCPML was opened in 1998. This year, for the first time, the lecture was held in the beautiful event space on level 7 of the TL Robertson Library, ’The Lantern’. The views and light filled spaces were appreciated by an audience of 70 guests, including members of the Curtin family, Curtin University’s Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Harlene Hayne CNZM and members of the Senior Executive Team, friends and supporters of the JCPML, and former staff who came together on Tuesday 29th October 2024.
Since the first lecture which was presented by inaugural JCPML patron The Honourable Gough Whitlam in 1998, the JCPML has contributed to further understanding of the legacy and enduring reputation of John Curtin’s leadership and values. Before introducing Professor Wright, Professor Hayne launched a new micro credential created by Curtin’s Learning Innovation and Teaching Excellence Centre (LITEC) in partnership with JCPML staff. With the title John Curtin’s Vision, Legacy and Leadership, the credential is designed to introduce the story of John Curtin’s life and leadership to students, staff and the wider community. More details about the micro credential will be released soon.
“What happens to history making and perhaps to the whole process of truth telling if we begin to join the dots across time, across place and across race, class and gender?” This question was posed by Professor Clare Wright OAM, renowned author, historian and Chair of the Council of the Australian Museum, in her lecture based on the subject of her latest book titled Ṉäku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions – the final volume in her democracy trilogy. While working on the second instalment (You Daughters of Freedom) she visited Parliament House to view the women’s suffrage banner, where she also saw the two copies on display of the Bark Petitions presented to the Australian Parliament in 1963. Intrigued by the story of these documents, Wright sought to discover who made them and whether there were others.
Her lecture surveyed the creation and contributors to the passage of the petitions from Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land to the Australian Parliament, the first documents bridging Commonwealth law and the indigenous laws of the land, the first formal assertion of indigenous land rights. She described the government officials and decision makers who did not seek permission nor consult with the people, the supporters of the Yolngu including the Reverend Edgar Wells, head of the Yirrkala Methodist Mission and his wife Ann, and the role of Kim Edward Beazley, John Curtin’s successor as the Labor Member for Fremantle, who worked with fellow MP Gordon Bryant to advance the cause of the Yolngu people to bring the message that their land was being stolen. They advised and assisted the Yolngu people to write a petition in the style of the bark panels displayed in their church. The petitions, comprised of indigenous artwork and language and English translation, were typed by Ann Wells, and then four were attached to a backing of bark panels cut from their land.
There are many Western Australian connections in the story of the petitions presented by Wright, from the people involved to the final discovery of one copy, the fourth petition, in a private home in Derby, Western Australia. Wright’s contact with the owner resulted in the repatriation to Yirrkala of this lost treasure, the fourth petition – the Ṉäku Dhäruk, and the final joining of the dots in the journey sixty years after the creation of the petitions.
JCPML Patron the Hon Kim Beazley AC, gave an appreciative vote of thanks to the speaker, with a moving acknowledgement of his father Kim Beazley Senior’s contribution in the creation of the Yirrkala petitions.
Library staff and the university’s events team were delighted that Clare’s lecture was so well received by the audience. The lectures are open to anyone to attend and provide an opportunity for the public to hear from speakers on a subject of their choice. This lecture adds to what has become an impressive series and is recommended listening for those not able to attend. The recording of the lecture will be available on the JCPML website in the near future. John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library | Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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Written by Sally Laming, Coordinator, Library Special Collections
