Manly Art Gallery & Museum and guest curator Keith Vincent Smith have assembled a fascinating exhibition of watercolours, engravings, drawings, artefacts and other objects documenting the ‘first encounters’ between English settlers and the Gamaragal, the Aboriginal people who lived at what is now Manly and Northern Sydney, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. ‘Gamaragal – Aboriginal People of Manly and Northern Sydney’ is an exhibition drawing on images from the collections of museums and collections as far away as London and St. Petersburg. It is a highlight of the 2013 Manly Arts Festival. It will be launched on Friday 20 September 2013 at 6pm by Nick Mitzevich, Director, Art Gallery of South Australia.
The Gamaragal clan occupied the north shore of Port Jackson, from Karabilye (Kirribilli) opposite Warrane (Sydney Cove) to the soaring yellow-brown cliffs of Garungal or Carangle (North Head) and the sandy bay of Kayyeemy (Manly Cove). At the time, it was reputedly the most densely populated part of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour). Through rarely seen artefacts and pictures, this exhibition at Manly Art Gallery & Museum captures the pre-colonial world of the Gamaragal in detail.
Exhibition dates are Friday 6 September 2013 to Sunday 20 April 2014.
Special event: Curator’s Talk on Sunday 22 September, 11-12pm – join Keith Vincent Smith in a fascinating and engaging discussion on the key themes in the exhibition.