Beauty Rich & Rare

National Library of Australia & The Smithsonian Museum Washington USA

Immersive Film Exhibit

Beauty Rich and Rare follows Captain James Cook’s 1768 voyage to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia. On board was English naturalist Sir Joseph Banks to record Australia’s flora and fauna in meticulous detail. The journey saw the first encounter between Aboriginal Australia, the Dharawal people of Kamay Bay (Botany Bay) and the British.

A landing party led by James Cook headed for the shore in longboats. They were met by two men on the beach. The visitors signalled their intention to land, waving and throwing trinkets.

James Cook, 29 April 1770: I thout that they beckon’d to us to come a shore but in this we were mistaken for as soon as we put the boat in they again came to oppose us.

Shayne Williams, Dharawal: The two warriors threw stones and spears at them. Obviously the spears didn’t hit them because they were only meant to scare them away.

Cook then loaded a musket with small shot and fired between the men. Cook fired twice more, wounding one of the men, before they left and he was at last able to land.