Mungari: Fishing, Resistance, Return
Client: Chau Chak Wing Muesum & Gujaga Foundation
Mungari is a powerful exhibition honouring a Dharawal fishing songline and the 254-year journey of the Gweagal Spears—ancestral fishing tools crafted in Gamay (Botany Bay) and taken by James Cook in 1770.
These sacred objects, symbols of resistance and cultural endurance, were permanently repatriated from the UK to the La Perouse Aboriginal community in 2023.
Through design, Mungari traces their return to Dharawal land and celebrates the strength of Gweagal ancestors and descendants in preserving fishing traditions. Presented by the Chau Chak Wing Museum, the exhibition marks a historic homecoming and cultural reawakening.
The design centres on a temporary structure reflecting the notion that the cultural materials are only temporarily being cared for by Chau Chak Wing Museum in collaboration with Community.
Their permanent home will be at Gamay where the structure can be reimagined. The design provides a canvas in which the stories of each object is reflected by the voices of the community. The pathway through the exhibition is not linear, but conceptualised on knowledge sharing before encountering the spears.
The visual identity—a single orange wave—interweaves objects, knowledge, and ongoing practice. It speaks to the Spears’ journey and their enduring connection to Gamay, symbolising the deep relationship between place, people, and history.
CREDITS
Artist
Shane Youngberry
Curators
Kirsty Beller, David Johnson, Clare Woolley (Gujaga Foundation and Gweagal descendants) and Marika Duczynski (Curator of Indigenous Heritage and Gamilaraay/Mandandanji)
Exhibition Manager
Luke Parker and Mikhaela Rodwell (Chau Chak Wing Museum)
Design
Jack Gillmer (SJB Architects) with graphics by Sarah Coleman
