Entertainment
13 June, 2024
Echo exhibition goes touring
TAKING an inspiring look into the past of Mission Beach, the Echo of the Past photographic exhibition is about to finalise its tour after a year, with its last few days displayed on Palm Island.
After touring across the Cassowary Coast in 2023 and the Atherton Library in early 2024, the ‘Echo of the Past’ exhibition – a collection of historical photographs of Mission Beach from 1890s to 1950s – travelled to Palm Island for an installation at the Bwgcolman Indigenous Knowledge Centre and its set to close this weekend, with Saturday, June 8 being its last day on display.
Having a successful run in the Cassowary Coast, Mission Beach Historical Society president Dr Valerie Boll and Djiru Traditional Owner Leonard Andy decided to take a smaller installation of ‘Echo of the Past’ to Palm Island on May 15, which is now completing its successful round in the remote community.
“The inaugural slideshow and Djiru historic photographs and cultural objects, provide an insight of the early history of Mission Beach, with emphasis on the history of the Djiru people,” Dr Boll said.
“It also gives Djiru and other neighbouring clans some inkling of their country and help the long-term healing process.
“Djiru and other First Nations people were imprisoned at the Hull River Aboriginal Settlement, also called 'The Mission' from 1914. The 1918 cyclone destroyed the Settlement and the survivors/’inmates’ were transported out of their country, onto Palm Island.
“Bringing the show to Palm Island allowed all visitors to reflect on the past, preserve and enhance important memories and events, promote intergenerational exchange of knowledge and culture and provide learning opportunities and foster while celebrating a sense of identity, diversity and cultural connections between Djiru and the wider community.”
The exhibition is now ready to close its touring cycle with one last day of exhibition tomorrow.
For more information about Echo of the Past, visit www.mbhs.com.au
