Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

In Esplanade Park in Fremantle, there is a monument to early explorers, which reads:

… this Terra Incognita, attacked at night by treacherous natives were murdered at Boola Boola near Le Grange Bay on the 13th November 1864

Also as an appreciative token of remembrance of MAITLAND BROWN one of the pioneer pastoralists and premier politicians of this State, intrepid leader of the government search and punitive party, his remains together with the sad relics of the ill fated three recovered at great risk and danger from the lone wilds repose under a public monument in the East Perth Cemetery

"LEST WE FORGET"

In 1994, in an act of reconciliation, another plaque was placed on the monument, which reads:

This plaque was erected by people who found the monument before you offensive. The monument describes the events at La Grange from one perspective only: the viewpoint of the white 'settlers'. No mention is made of the right of Aboriginal people to defend their land or of the history of provocation which led to the explorers' deaths. The 'punitive party' mentioned here ended in the deaths of around twenty Aboriginal people. The whites were well armed and equipped and none of their party was killed or wounded. The plaque is in memory of the Aboriginal people killed at La Grange. It also commemorates all other Aboriginal people who died during the invasion of their country.

LEST WE FORGET

These words are repeated on the plaque in the language of the people who were victims of the punitive party.

We don't need to pull statues down in this country. We just have to tell the truth; we have to tell the whole truth.

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