A new partnership between the State Library of Western Australia and Andrew and Nicola Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation has been forged to deliver a unique project in 2018-19.
Entitled From Another View, the project will retrace and reinterpret Sir John Forrest’s 1874 trek from Geraldton to Adelaide.
The original expedition in search of inland water resources that could sustain settlement was a remarkable journey through areas unchartered by Europeans.
The expeditioners encountered and sometimes clashed with Aboriginal groups whose lands they traversed and whose water they relied upon for survival as they made their way eastwards.
The project will serve as the catalyst for reimagining the history of exploration from various community and creative perspectives:
- Community engagement – the State Library’s award-winning Storylines model of digital repatriation and reinterpretation of documentary heritage will be used to engage with Aboriginal communities along the trek;
- Creative interpretation – Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists will reinterpret the expedition that was led by Forrest and guided by two Aboriginal trackers; and
- Research – further investigation into private and public papers relating to Forrest’s expedition will be undertaken to contribute to the greater understanding of collecting legacies around exploration history.
A number of regional displays, public programs, educational resources, engagement with Aboriginal communities in the Yamatji and Western Desert areas, commissioned artworks and a major exhibition at the State Library in 2019 will be delivered by the partnership.