Share
Clip description
A map shows the Convincing Ground site, the traditional country of the Kilcarer clan of the Gundidj-Mara peoples. Dr Ian McNiven of Monash University presents the historic context surrounding the massacre.
Curator’s notes
The use of graphics, such as maps, in this clip allows the Convincing Ground to be geographically located. Re-creations are evident again in this clip with focus on a (model) skull. Although use of the skull reminds us that we are talking about horrific crimes, its repetition is less than subtle. This notwithstanding, the skull contrasts effectively with shots of the Portland Bay coastline which highlights the area’s unspoilt natural beauty.
Dr Ian McNiven places the Convincing Ground massacre within the context of colonial Australia during the early 1800s as well as within a broader colonial settler context. He identifies the prevailing European attitude underpinning the willingness of settlers to kill Aboriginal people and explains that this attitude was a common feature of most colonial settlement.
Walter Saunders, a member of the Kilcarer Clan, summarises the ongoing importance of the Convincing Ground to the traditional owners saying, 'It is our Eureka Stockade. It is our Gallipoli. It is our Wounded Knee.’
