This artwork captures the deep sorrow and enduring resilience of the Kilcarer gundidj clan during the tragic events of the Convincing Ground Massacre of 1833-34. In the early 1830s, the coastal Gunditjmara people encountered British colonisers who sought to exploit the resources of their land. The clash at Convincing Ground was sparked by a dispute over the ownership of a beached whale, a vital resource for both the Gunditjmara people and the whalers.
The conflict escalated into violence, culminating in the loss of many Gunditjmara lives, with some accounts estimating as many as 60 people were killed. This massacre is documented in the records of Edward Henty, one of the first British settlers in the Port Phillip district, and in the journals of George Augustus Robinson, the Protector of Aborigines.
In this piece, the swirling patterns of dots and symbols represent the turmoil and chaos of that fateful encounter. The deep blues symbolise the ocean, a source of life and sustenance, now stained by the bloodshed that marked the landscape. The white dot paths, which traditionally represent the sacred tracks and journeys of Indigenous people, are reimagined here as the tracks of the colonisers—figures who walked where they pleased, disregarding the sanctity of the land and spreading their destructive influence like an infection upon the great spirit of the earth.
Beneath the final coat of the painting lie raised paths and dots, representing the spirits of the Gunditjmara people who watched from the Dreamtime as the white man inflicted violence upon their descendants. These hidden elements serve as a silent testament to the presence and memory of those who came before, their spirits enduring and observing, even as their physical forms were taken.
The vibrant yet somber color palette echoes the profound connection of the Gunditjmara people to their land and sea, while the black sections signify the mourning and loss that followed. The circular motifs symbolise the community and life cycles disrupted by the massacre, forever altering the course of history for the Gunditjmara.
This artwork stands as both a memorial and a reminder of the resilience of the Gunditjmara people, whose culture and stories endure despite the tragedies of the past.