Alistair Hardaker
Image: A screenshot from a video of the event (AIATSIS)
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery formally transfers spears and club to Aboriginal custodians for display at new Larrakia Cultural Centre opening 2026
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery has formally returned 33 objects to the Larrakia People of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, as part of the Australian Government’s Return of Cultural Heritage programme.
The objects, comprising spears, spear throwers and a club collected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were transferred during a ceremony at the Bristol museum on 1 September. The return is facilitated by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), which leads the RoCH programme.
The ceremony included speeches from Larrakia representatives Nigel Browne and Mikayla Lee, Australia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom The Hon Stephen Smith, The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Bristol Councillor Henry Michallat, and Bristol City Council Leader Councillor Tony Dyer.
The transfer follows the return of cultural objects to Larrakia from the Fowler Museum in Los Angeles, USA on 20 May 2025. The Larrakia Cultural Centre will serve as a hub for cultural tourism, language revitalisation and education.
The objects will be housed at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory before being displayed at the Larrakia Cultural Centre, currently under construction adjacent to Stokes Hill, Darwin Harbour, and scheduled to open in 2026. The centre is a project of the Larrakia Development Corporation.
Mark Motlop, chairperson of the Larrakia Development Corporation and Larrakia man explains, “Today is an extremely important milestone for the revitalisation and maintenance of Larrakia culture, now and for future generations, as we accept these culturally significant artefacts from the Bristol Museum back to the rightful custodianship of Larrakia people.
It has been a long and emotional journey for Larrakia people in the repatriation of these items to Larrakia Country – one that will facilitate healing and the intergenerational transfer of knowledge. Once returned to their rightful place on Larrakia Country, in Darwin, Australia, these items will be displayed at the Larrakia Cultural Centre, opening in 2026 ensuring their stories are honoured and shared with the world for many years to come.”
