Iconic Aboriginal Photographs & Other Collectables

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Welcome to Smalls Auctions sale 227. A pivotal referendum looms large in Australia in late 2023 as voters consider a ‘First Nations Voice to Parliament.’ When the British colonised Australia in the late 18th century it staked out the eastern half of the continent on the basis of ‘terra nullius’ i.e., it was an uninhabited land belonging to no one. Of course, this was never the case and so the term was massaged to describe the original inhabitants as an uncivilised people incapable of land ownership and so not in a position to be dispossessed. This position was ultimately struck down by the Australian High Court in the historic Mabo decision of 1992, but up until that point that was the basis on which Australia was civilised. Now after 235 years Australia faces a day of reconciliation with its First Nations People, or a day of reckoning, depending on your take. There will always be those for and against any proposition which in this case pitches a simple ‘forget and forgive’ view of history against those who argue it is time to get over it and prefer to ‘forgive and forget.’ It is the order of the words that causes some consternation as one side believes that you need to acknowledge history before you can lay it to rest and move on to addressing the problems of the present and future while the other side believe that history is dead and buried and that the sometimes abhorrent actions of their antecedents do not carry through to current generations. These opposing stances are fuelled by a popular media peppered with contrarians who push the line that their followers ‘on country’ or on ‘struggle street’ are the real ‘victims’ of a society that has not delivered them the life that they truly deserve. When you are trying to win over the uncommitted sometimes less is more otherwise you run the risk of washing away genuine goodwill with a torrent of rhetoric. But this is not just a battle of the ‘victims’ which lets the ‘achievers’ off the hook. Those that better enjoy the fruits of Australian life are also split between the socio-warriors championing the redistribution of excessive wealth to succour the broader society, as long as it doesn’t impact on ‘free childcare’ and other aspects of their sponsored life, while others argue that too much of a social wage encourages the less fortunate to cop out and embrace ‘victimhood.’ It’s the reason why you see some high-profile people who identify as ‘first nations’ people in the ‘no’ camp as well as the ‘yes’ camp in the Voice debate, which of course is their democratic right. A notable example is a former President of the Australian Labor Party who now heads the “No Campaign.’ He ran for the Liberals in the 2019 Election no doubt won over by their former Treasurer’s ‘Lifters and Leaners’ spit of Australian Society. But why this commentary on the risky topic of social consciousness? Well, in my world history is vitally important, be it good or bad, and I am certainly no stranger to criticism for offering relics of the past that some find offensive. However, it is my sincere belief that civilisation is a continuum which incites conflict at the extremes and so if you seek to expunge from its history all documentary of its dark side then you run a greater risk that terrible deeds will be repeated. To quote the great philosopher Neil Young, “rust never sleeps” and so if you hide from public gaze confronting records of man’s inhumanity to man then you run a greater risk that corrupt philosophies can break out again on the thin veneer of civilisation. Within reason, you need to put everything out there for people to be educated about the consequences of not being informed. Very little is new in this world and so armed with a knowledge of history ‘alternate facts’ can be called out as ‘propaganda’ or at least ‘mis-truths’ lest civilised debate be derailed. One has only to look at the rise of the recent President of the United States with his nationalistic MAGA rhetoric which went unchallenged on right wing news channels to see parallels with Goebbels and NAZI Germany. Thank goodness that he was turfed after one term before he could do too much damage, but not before delivering his final ‘coup de gras’ for democracy by sending his loyal followers to storm the Capitol Building in an attempt to hold on to power. God Save America! But no nation is without sin, and this most certainly applies to Australia. In our Sale we have ten iconic 19th Century photographs of some of the last surviving full-blooded Tasmanian Aborigines. To again draw sinister parallels with 1930s Germany, these images capture mainland natives who were rounded up ostensibly for their own protection before they were exiled to Flinders Island, where without any hope of returning to the mainland, they quickly withered and died. In researching these photographs I found close but inexact copies of some of the images contained in an 1890s work titled 'Aborigines of Tasmania' by the author H. Ling Roth. For those who have yet to make up their mind on the issue of a ‘Voice to Parliament’ I encourage you to at least skim through the digitized copy you can find online at the following link: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/tcsramz9/items It is not an easy read and I’m sure many will find it confronting but it does capture the prevailing sentiments of the time many of which still linger today. The Roth work sets out as an anthropological study of a unique race but it progresses through a bleak narrative cataloguing the ‘disappearance’ of Tasmania’s first nations people in a way that certainly stumbles into the chilling realms of ‘ethnic cleansing’ - with or without government imprimatur. The photographs in our Sale deserve to be on public display and not as some would argue hidden away lest they transgress cultural sensitivities as they demonstrate an ignominious chapter of Australian history that demands open discussion. Smalls Auctions

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VAT and taxes: The Buyer's Premium is inclusive of the Australian G(oods) & S(ervices T(ax) incurred by our service.

Shipping Terms: AUSTRALIA :

Purchases within Australia will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $10.00 and will be sent by Registered Post.

Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense.

Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

OVERSEAS :

Overseas purchases will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $35.00 and will be sent by standard International Post.

Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense

Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

If we are unsure of the bona fides of a successful bidder we may request identification such as a Passport Photo or Drivers's Licence that matches the Credit Card details registered with Invaluable before we despatch an item.

Both Australian and International packages are traceable in transit and may require a signature on delivery.

Buyers Premium: All purchases are subject to an all inclusive 20.0 % Buyer's Premium on the hammer price.

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