Traditional Headdress Returned to Lardil People
Handing back Lardil Headdress to Traditional Owners. Courtesy of AIATSIS, 2022.
In March this year a traditional headdress was returned to the Lardil people after spending 50 years in the UK. The Lardil are the people of Gununa (Mornington Island) located off the Gold of Carpentaria, QLD. A ceremony was held in Canberra to mark the official return. This was a very special moment for the Gununa community who had actually been unaware of the headdress's existence (SBS, 2022).
This special Indigenous artefact was worn at the opening of the Sydney Opera House during a dance performance in 1973 by Lardil man Mr Philip 'Phil' Jack. Mr Jack then gave the hat to a neighbour, Mr Maurice Routhan, as a farewell gift upon his return home to the UK. Mr Routhan spoke at the ceremony via video from his home in East Sussex. He said “I was very proud to be given this gift when I left Australia, and I’m even more proud to be able to hand it back,” (SBS, 2022).
Lardil Headdress. Courtesy AIATSIS, 2022.
These unique traditional headdresses are made with a cone of bark, wound with a string of human hair, and then painted with ochre and decorated with emu furthers. In an interview with NIT (2022) Lardil cultural man Lawrence Burke talked about the importance this repatriation:
“It’s really important because it belongs to our people and to our leaders…This is good for our next generation because a lot of them have never heard of the old fella (Mr Jack).”
He went on to explain how and my whom this headdress is worn:
“Only a lawman can wear this one…The return is important because Mr Jack was an elder, a cultural man, a law man, and an important song man for this place.”
The repatriation was organised by the Return of Cultural Heritage Team at AIATSIS. AIATSIS CEO Craig Ritchie talked to SBS News about how the movement to identify and return cultural heritage is gaining recognition internationally:
"For over 250 years Australia’s First Nations cultures have drawn attention from many parts of the world, materials representing important cultural heritage have travelled far from their homes…There is a challenging task in handing it over to the rightful custodians. But that effort is embraced by AIATSIS."
This important handover is a part of the ongoing success of land and artefacts being returned back to traditional owners across the nation. These repatriations show an increasing awareness of the deep importance of Country and culture to First Nations people.
If you would like to read more about some of these important handovers check out our previous posts:
Daintree Rainforest handed back to its Traditional Owners, the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people