Uncovering Australia's Indigenous past: Forgotten 1920s photos reveal insight into coastal Aboriginal people

Updated

A rusty tin containing 1920s photographs, hidden away in a Port Macquarie back shed has cast new light on the lives of coastal Aborigines at the turn of last century.

The glass plates and lantern slides are considered some of the finest photographs of their type, and are the work of oyster farmer-turned-photographer Thomas Dick.

Warning: This article contains images of deceased people.

I set out years ago to collect and write the history of these Aborigines. I went into the mountains with them, gained their confidence and their secrets connected with their laws. I was fortunate, for some of the old men were most intelligent and they recognised that their race was run, as it were, so they gave me ... the history of their race. Thomas Dick, amateur photographer, April 1923

There are very few publications which relate to the history of Port Macquarie that give any significant detail in relations to Aboriginal people. And yet our peoples have been here for hundreds and thousands of years and the penal settlement itself was only here for 10 years. John Heath, descendent and historian

As can be seen by the surviving images, he tried to capture our people in a number of different settings and some of his beachside settings were to show what it was like for Gooris looking out to sea. John Heath, descendent and historian

Going up on top of Grants Head, it is a beautiful experience, but another good aspect of it is that it is so easy to recall the events of him taking the photographs there, because it is so obvious. John Heath, descendent and historian

These are treasures where they can see their ancestors, their known family members undertaking cultural activities and events and can see the pride in them. They are really the crown jewels of the Port Macquarie area for Aboriginal people. Phil Gordon, Aboriginal Heritage Officer, Australian Museum

Topics: indigenous-culture, photography, history, port-macquarie-2444

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