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From Little Things Big Things Grow is a travelling exhibition mounted by the National Museum of Australia which traces the fight for Indigenous civil rights in Australia from 1920 to 1970. It will tour nationally until November, 2011. 'The exhibition reveals the story of these activists as they brought unwelcome truths to Australia's attention. They battled to be believed. Their personal lives were sacrificed in the fight and some were victimised for taking a stand. A few were even spied on by ASIO (the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation). From Little Things Big Things Grow also uncovers the injustices of racism and discrimination that inspired the activists in their struggle for change by revealing what life was like for Indigenous people in this time. The exhibition features a mix of photographs, objects, personal stories and protest material to tell this largely unknown or forgotten story.' Source: http://www.nma.gov.au/ (Sighted 15/09/2009)
Notes
Includes:
'Personal Stories': Interviews with 13 Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Listen to their personal video stories of discrimination, injustice and survival from the 1940s to the 1970s.
'Have Your Say': An on-line interactive where visitors can share there own stories and/or comment on the exhibition.
'Behind the Scenes': The Museum worked with many people to create the exhibition Join the Museum's curators, conservators and the inspirational people who feature in the exhibition as they share stories about some of the experiences which have helped to shape the show.
Contents indexed selectively.
Contents
* Contents derived from the Canberra,Australian Capital Territory,:National Museum of Australia,2009 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
'Ngunnawal elder Eric Bell shares his recollections of growing up on an Aboriginal mission. Eric met National Museum curator Karolina Kilian at the former mission site and donated a sheet of corrugated, or ripple, iron to the National Museum, to help tell his story.' Source: http://www.nma.gov.au/ (Sighted 16/09/09)
'The exhibition includes film displays where Indigenous Australians share their experiences of discrimination. Learn about the complexities encountered during the research and production of this project.' Source: http://www.nma.gov.au/ (Sighted 16/09/09)
'In February 2009, Museum photographer Lannon Harley and assistant curator Karolina Kilian visited Mary Terszak (nee Woods), a Nyoongah woman from south-west Western Australia. During the visit, they recorded Mary's memories and memorabilia of institutionalisation, as well as her reflections on how being a member of the Stolen Generations has affected her life.' Source: http://www.nma.gov.au/ (Sighted 16/09/09)
A nation-wide search for an exemption certificate, a document of the government's assimilation policy , by the National Museum of Australia led curators to Mary Terszak, who not only gave them the certificate they were seeking but also her incredible story of survival as a member of the Stolen Generations.
National Museum of Australia curator, Troy Pickwick, 'reflects on a meeting with Gumbayngirr elder Martin Ballangarry during a visit to the Bowraville theatre in northern New South Wales in 2008.' Source: http://www.nma.gov.au/ (Sighted 21/09/09)
