Bristol Museum & Art Gallery has formally returned 33 culturally significant objects to the Larrakia People of Darwin in Australia\u2019s Northern Territory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The objects, comprising spears, spear throwers and a club, were collected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and have been held in the museum\u2019s collection for decades.<\/p>\n
Their return is part of the Australian Government\u2019s Return of Cultural Heritage programme, which is led by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (Aiatsis).<\/p>\n
A handover ceremony was held at the museum this week to mark what has been described as a \u201csignificant act of international cooperation and cultural recognition\u201d.<\/p>\n
The event was attended by community leaders and international guests, including Larrakia representatives Nigel Browne and Mikayla Lee, Australia\u2019s UK high commissioner Stephen Smith, Bristol lord mayor Henry Michallat, and the leader of the Bristol City Council, Tony Dyer.<\/p>\n
The objects will be temporarily housed at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory until the opening of the Larrakia Cultural Centre in 2026. Planned as a landmark cultural facility, the centre is currently being built adjacent to the sacred site of Stokes Hill in Darwin Harbour.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is intended to serve as a hub for cultural tourism, language revitalisation and education, offering people a chance to engage with Larrakia knowledge and traditions through the lens of Traditional Owners.\u00a0This week\u2019s repatriation follows the return of cultural objects to Larrakia from the Fowler Museum, Los Angeles, in May.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday is an extremely important milestone for the revitalisation and maintenance of Larrakia culture, now and for future generations, as we accept these culturally significant artefacts from the Bristol Museum back to the rightful custodianship of Larrakia people,\u201d said Mark Motlop, chairperson of the Larrakia Development Corporation and Larrakia man.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been a long and emotional journey for Larrakia people in the repatriation of these items to Larrakia Country \u2013 one that will facilitate healing and the intergenerational transfer of knowledge.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce returned to their rightful place on Larrakia Country, in Darwin, Australia, these items will be displayed at the Larrakia Cultural Centre, opening in 2026 ensuring their stories are honoured and shared with the world for many years to come.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a speech during the ceremony, Bristol City Council leader Dyer said: \u201cWe are proud to support the respectful return of these items of cultural heritage to the Larrakia People. We are grateful to have been able to work closely with everyone involved in this formal repatriation, this international collaboration has allowed us to take a powerful and significant step forward towards shared understanding and partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leonard Hill, the CEO of Aiatsis, said the return was an example of how collaboration between communities and institutions could restore cultural authority and support intergenerational knowledge. He said: \u201cThese items belong with their people, on their Country, where they can once again contribute to cultural life and intergenerational knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Museums Association director Sharon Heal, who attended the ceremony, commended the museum for its \u201cethical and proactive approach\u201d to restitution.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an honour to be at the handover ceremony and deeply moving to see the profound impact of the return of the objects to representatives of the Larrakia community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBristol\u00a0Museum has taken an ethical and proactive approach to restitution over many years and has built lasting international relationship as a result, as well as deepening the understanding of its collections. This restitution shows once again that the work is possible if there\u2019s a will to do it and it\u2019s great to see regional museums leading the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
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