Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How we honour our nation’s heritage says a lot about who we are. It is about acknowledging where we have all come from so we can all move forward together as Australians in the future. As Australians none of us should ever feel guilted into shrinking from celebrating the achievements of our past, whatever our background. This is as true for Australians with an Anglo-Celtic heritage as it is for Indigenous Australians and for those from other cultures and backgrounds. However, I believe this is exactly what has been allowed to occur, particularly in relation to our British and colonial history, in the belief that such actions were insensitive to Indigenous Australians. If you need any convincing of this, all you need to do is take a trip to Kurnell in my electorate of Cook where James Cook first landed on 29 April 1770.

James Cook was an innately peaceful man of the Enlightenment age and, I believe, the world’s greatest ever navigator. By the standard of his time he showed a profound compassion and respect for the lands and peoples he visited, and to people who were under his care. As Australians we should feel immensely proud of Cook’s pivotal and founding role in our national history. However, the landing site today simply does not live up to its status as the modern birthplace of our nation. As recently as last year the site was still referred to on the New South Wales national parks website as a place of ‘invasion’. This language of shame, blame and guilt must become a thing of the past if we are to truly pursue an ambition of reconciliation in this country.

We need to find new reference points that merge a respect for our shared heritage as Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. I can think of no better place that celebrates our shared national heritage and story than our first meeting place at Kurnell in Botany Bay. The site was and remains a place of new beginnings. On reading the accounts of the journals of those on the Endeavour, at that time we looked strangely at each other, seeking to understand, but were ultimately overwhelmed by our differences. We parted not much the wiser but having commenced an engagement that would profoundly change forever the future for both Indigenous and soon to be non-Indigenous Australians.

The time has come, in our new post ‘Sorry’ world, to move to another new beginning. The site of Cook’s landing already sits on our national heritage list, thanks to the efforts of my predecessor, the Hon. Bruce Baird. The task now remains to ensure this place befits its status and occupies a new and profound space in our national reconciliation journey. The site requires urgent attention from all levels of government and the commitment of all sides of politics, especially as we approach the 250th anniversary in 2020.

It is in this context that I have brought to the attention of the government a new opportunity. On 25 September Christie’s will auction in London a boomerang believed to be taken from the Gweagal people of Australia in Kurnell in 1770 by then Lieutenant James Cook. I believe this boomerang must come back. I can think of no more suitable icon of reconciliation than the return of Cook’s boomerang to the Gweagal people on behalf of all Australians at this historic site.

Of course, its authenticity must be tested. We should understand that in matters such as these there will always be claims and counterclaims about authenticity—it was indeed a very long time ago—but the sheer existence of such claims should not be used as an excuse by the Australian government not to pursue this item for all Australians. The boomerang was handed down from Cook’s widow, Elizabeth, and it could only have come from Australia. We do know that spears and shields were taken from Kurnell, and no-one has suggested it is improbable that the local Gweagal people had boomerangs as well at this time. Cook only made the one visit to Australia and only stopped at Kurnell and the Endeavour River, so it is worth having a good hard look at this artefact—although, as with all artefacts of this nature, conclusive proof is a rarity.

We could just get out the national chequebook and show up and bid. But wouldn’t it be better if Great Britain were to be involved and play a vital role? The British occupy a significant place in our national history. For a start we both have the same Queen, and, at least from my perspective, long may that continue. However, this special status carries with it some responsibilities. Stepping up to get our boomerang back and playing a positive role in our process of reconciliation, I believe, is one of them. That is why, together with local Gweagal elder Merv Ryan, I have called on our Prime Minister and Minister Garrett to ask the British Prime Minister to purchase the item and present it to the Gweagal people to be held in trust for all Australians. To quote Minister Garrett from a former life:

The time has come. A fact’s a fact. It belongs to them. Let’s give it back.

If this fails, we should bid on our boomerang to secure its return. Either way, our boomerang must come back.