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‘Boola Bardip’: Many Stories

Western Australia Boola Bardip Museum

“Oh! These biscuits look so real!”

“Yes, you are right. They are 40 years old — they are from 1983!”

I couldn’t believe it. The history of cookies and biscuits industry displayed in the ‘Reflections’ exhibit at Boola Bardip Museum is very interesting.

Biscuits from 1983 displayed in the exhibition
The 1983 package of Mills & Ware’s Home Assorted Biscuits

I recently visited Western Australia Museum Boola Bardip at Perth as part of my HaSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) study tour. Boola Bardip Museum is one out of the six museums coming under Western Australia Museum. I have also visited WA Maritime Museum and WA Shipwrecks Museum at Fremantle. The others are Museum of the Great Southern, Museum of Geraldton and Museum of the Goldfields.

During the study tour, we mainly visited the Wesfarmers Gallery, Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn exhibition showcasing the creativity of Aboriginal artists, authors and performers and ‘Reflections’ exhibition showcasing the knowledge and perspectives of Australia’s first people and those who have arrived in recent years.

‘Dance of Life’ painting by Helen Milroy, 2006

The Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn exhibit showcased different subjects related to the first nations people like sporting traditions, medicinal values and other topics.

I found an exhibit that showcased the history of the bird sculpture ‘First Contact’ by Noongar Artist Laurel Nannup which is present at Elizabeth Quay.

Scaled replica of ‘First Contact’ exhibited in the museum

The sculpture is inspired by the encounter between the Noongar people and the European settlers’ fleet of ships. Artist Laurel Nannup explains how the first nation people thought of the Europeans as their ancestors coming back from the dead, from the sea. The head and wings of the bird represent the spar, mast and sail of a ship.

First Contact sculpture at Elizabeth Quay

I enjoyed my visit to Boola Bardip Museum. There are so much to see and learn and I am planning to comeback soon

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