Learning Experience 4
A Series of Unwarranted Events, 2018
Untitled (The circumstances are that a whale had come on shore) (A Series of Unwarranted Events), 67 × 67 cm, inkjet on cotton rag, 2018
‘A group of sailors protested that they had ownership of the whale, as Portland belonged to them now, and so a conflict started… The Convincing Ground massacre took place on Allestree beach between a group of sailors and a Gunditjmara clan in 1833. However, the exact date is uncertain, and some people consider the Convincing Ground massacre a myth.’
– Hayley Millar Baker, artist statement
Think of an event that happened in your familial history or memory. How was this story told to you, and did the retelling encompass the whole truth? Why do you think the story was recounted the way it was?
Find a newspaper article about a recent event or debate. Read the account thoroughly and consider which voices it includes and which voices it excludes. Using a thick black marker, blackout words, sentences and quotes to construct an alternative telling of the event. In doing so, consider how written accounts have the power to remove or silence voices.
Millar Baker’s 2018 series A Series of Unwarranted Events depicts four stories of the Gunditjmara of southwest Victoria. These stories expose the realities of life for the Gunditjmara during the brutal colonisation of their Country. Gunditjmara Country holds memories of invasion, violence, killings and numerous massacres. They are a haunting reminder of inflicted trauma, yet they also exemplify the strength and resilience of the Gunditjmara.
It is uncertain exactly when the Convincing Ground massacre took place. It is said to have been in 1833 on the beach at Allestree in Portland Bay, although many dismiss it as a myth. The Portland shore was a place of oceanic abundance for the Gunditjmara. When, in 1833, a whale drifted ashore, the Kilcarer Gunditj of the Gunditjmara went to collect the meat, as they had done for thousands of years. However, they were confronted by a group of sailors who contested the ownership of the whale, as they believed the beach and Portland now belonged to them. A conflict ensued, and all except for two members of the Kilcarer Gunditj clan were murdered.
It is often the darkest histories of humanity that remain mythologised. Aside from a lack of historical evidence, what else do you think might create cognitive dissonance from such events? What prevents us from accepting or recognising uncomfortable histories?
