Tasmanian Aboriginal community’s connection to Sea Country showcased in landmark Maritime Centre exhibition

Callan Morse – September 11, 2024

A landmark exhibition showcasing the maritime history of Tasmania’s Aboriginal community is set to be unveiled in the state’s north west.

The Our First Mariners – Sea Country People exhibition, launching at Devonport’s Bass Strait Maritime Centre this week, highlights the profound connection between Tasmania’s First Nations people and surrounding waterways.

Offering visitors an immersive look into the rich seafaring traditions of Tasmanian Aboriginal culture, the exhibition also provides an educational opportunity for visitors to deepen their understanding of the Tasmania’s palawa and pakana peoples’ enduring relationship with the state’s marine environment.

The exhibition features a paperbark ningher (canoe) handcrafted by Uncle Rex Greeno, a master canoe maker and respected Tasmanian Aboriginal Elder, the piece sharing generations of boat-building knowledge and the innovation and expertise of Tasmania’s earliest maritime communities.

Also included in the exhibition are two traditional shell necklaces made by the esteemed Aunty Lola Greeno, a Tasmanian cultural practitioner renowned for preserving First Nations artistry through traditional techniques.

A personal narrative of Aboriginal maritime life through a short film featuring Dave mangenner Gough can also be viewed by visitors to the Maritime Centre’s newest permanent exhibition.

The film includes Gough, a local Aboriginal Elder, recounting his family’s connection with the Mersey River and Bass Strait.

Bass Strait Maritime Centre museum coordinator, Joanna Gair spearheaded the project. She said it was an honour to present Our First Mariners to the community.