Indigenous Voices Fill Gaps in Australia's History

For 60,000 years, the Menang people have told their stories through spoken word, not written text. Now, their voices are finally being recorded and celebrated in a powerful new exhibition at Western Australia's State Library.

The exhibition centers on oral histories from seven Menang-Noongar elders, including Carol Pettersen, whose family has maintained an unbroken connection to Albany-Kinjarling. "The European occupation is minute compared to the length and space of time our people have been there," Aunty Carol explains.

The project launched as Albany marks 200 years since colonial settlement, but it's deliberately shifting the focus from celebration to remembrance and truth-telling. Curator Denien Toomath, a Menang woman, describes it as "a love letter to my grandmother and to my elders and the generations of the Noongar people who have carried culture and story and knowledge, even through this enormous change and disruption."

State Librarian Catherine Clark acknowledges what many institutions are finally admitting: historical collecting deliberately excluded Aboriginal voices. "Historical collecting 140 years ago did not preference the collecting of voices from Aboriginal people so that is certainly one of the reasons we are focused on it now," she says.

The exhibition pairs traditional storytelling with modern technology, using AI to visualize what pre-colonial Albany might have looked like. But the heart of the project remains deeply human and community-driven.

Why This Inspires

Elder Lester Coyne describes the collaborative process beautifully: "It is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, and I reckon we've each got a little part." By bringing together their individual pieces of knowledge, the elders are completing a historical record that has been deliberately incomplete for generations.

The impact reaches beyond Albany. With Perth's bicentenary approaching in 2029, Aunty Carol hopes this exhibition sets a new standard for how Australia marks colonial milestones. "It is through stories that people come to understand and become more tolerant of the diversity of people in the community," she says.

The oral histories will be permanently added to the state archive, ensuring future generations can hear these voices directly. The exhibition runs through April 2027, giving thousands of visitors the chance to experience history told by those whose ancestors lived it for 60,000 years.

"My voice is the voice of our people," Aunty Carol says, and now that voice will echo through history.