The Cooks River Aboriginal Oral History Exhibition

This stunning exhibition by Asher Milgate pairs natural soundscapes of the Cooks River with photographic portraits and oral histories of Aboriginal people with a lived experience and connection to the river.

The exhibition is a commissioned work funded by the Australian Government through the Cooks River​ Alliance. The project grew out of the Alliance's desire to know more about the Aboriginal use of the catchment from ancient times to the present day.

This is the third Aboriginal oral histories project undertaken by artist Asher Milgate who is inspired by Australia’s natural landscapes and understanding the experiences and perspectives of these lands by traditional custodians.

“Having grown up in Wellington NSW alongside Aboriginal people I was lucky enough to have Aboriginal friends and hear different perspectives. When I left Wellington I realised you don’t hear those perspectives ever,” said project artist Asher Milgate.

“What inspires me and what I really love to do is to hear Aboriginal perspectives of Australia, whether it’s the landscape or the politics or family - all those things that are contrasting to European culture.”

“In her oral history, Nardi Simpson talks about the old places revealing themselves to her. And personally, the more time I spent on that river – photographing it, filming it, recording sound - that river really started to speak to me and I gained a whole new appreciation.”

Gallery open Tuesday – Sunday | 11am – 5pm.