Retrieved from Leo (2013).
This cartoon
was drawn in response to the then Prime Minister, John Howard’s
2001 election campaign policy speech. At the time Australia was gripped in
debate over Asian refugees seeking to land on Australian shores without
permitted visas. The tone of the speech was very autonomous suggesting that the
government had exclusive rights to the land. What this cartoon does it present
an alternative viewpoint to the infamous words spoken by Howard, reversed and
quoted in the Aboriginal elder’s speech bubble. ACARA has set clear
instructions for its cross-curriculum priorities, one of which is to have “all
learners deepen their knowledge of Australia by engaging with the world’s
oldest continuous living cultures” (ACARA, 2013). Not only does the image
recognise the Aboriginal people as the first people of the land, it also raises
the debate over reconciliation, Terra Nullius
and the Wik
decision, all of which will deepen the knowledge and understanding of
Aboriginal culture and longevity within students.
Land rights and immigration are the two central
focus points of this particular cartoon. Prime Minister John Howard, Minister
for Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Phillip Ruddock and
Deputy Prime Minister/Leader of the National Party Tim Fischer are all in a
boat attempting to land. Three aboriginal men, including one elder declare that
the land (Australia) is there land, and that they decide who can and cannot
come in. Howard, Ruddock and Fischer are depicted because of their stance on
immigration, reconciliation and native title land rights. Ruddock was obviously
a figure very much in the spotlight because of the folio he held as Minister
and the Wik decision greatly impacted on Tim Fischer as many of his
constituents were rural, white farmers afraid to lose their land and property
to native title ownership rights.
Such a
contemporary viewpoint of how the Indigenous people may have greeted Captain
Cook, represented by Howard (see image 1), reflects the feelings of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait people in the year 2001. In 2000, as the centenary of
federation neared, the topic of reconciliation was at its most pivotal moment. Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Island people united with many non-indigenous crowds to make
clear their stance for reconciliation and the request for an apology. In an
incredible display of pride, strength and resilience, a reconciliation walk over
the Sydney Harbour Bridge was organised. The cartoon presents strength and
resilience within the contemporary Indigenous culture, ACARA requires the same
elements to be taught in their Aboriginal and Torres Strait cross-curriculum
priority; “Students will understand that contemporary Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander communities are strong, resilient,” (ACARA, 2013).
Image 1) The Landing of Captain Cook at Botany Bay 1770
Image 1 provides the evidence for
how the cartoon has depicted John Howard as Captain Cook. The Landing of
Captain Cook at Botany Bay dresses Cook in his British Naval uniform, Cook is
the only settler dressed in a captain’s uniform. In the cartoon Howard is
dressed exactly the same and even strikes a similar pose with one leg forward
and bent at the knee.
References
Australian
Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2013). Cross-curriculum priorities. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/cross_curriculum_priorities.html
Australian
Politics. (2013). John Howard’s 2001
election policy speech. Retrieved from http://australianpolitics.com/2001/10/28/john-howard-election-policy-speech.html
Leo, R.
(2013). Lecture 8: Invasion or Settlement
– Resistance [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from CR181H, Christian Heritage
College, Moodle: http://chc.moodle.com.au/course/view.php?id=231
Queensland
Government. (2013). The wik decision and
after, 1997. (Research Bulletin no. 4/97). Retrieved from http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/explore/ResearchPublications/researchBulletins/rb0497bs.pdf
ReconciliationAus.
(2011, September 6). Bridge walks compilation [video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7bs_zdthsc
The landing
of captain cook at botany bay 1770 [Image] (n.d). Retrieved from http://foundingdocs.gov.au/enlargement-eid-23-pid-34.html
The native title revolution. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.nfsa.gov.au/digitallearning/mabo/tn_01.shtml
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