Oil and Charcoal on Canvas

88cm (W) x 112cm (H) Framed

This work examines the history of colonisation and commercial whaling in the Portland area during the 1800s. The title of the work refers to the scientific name for the Southern Right Whale which was nearly hunted to extinction within 10 years of when whaling began in Portland. My research for this work began when I discovered that my family's colonial history within Australia can be traced back all the way to early 1800s in Portland. I intend for this work to depict a scene of violence and symbolic intensity through the use of dynamic figures and gestural strokes. Colonisation in Portland marked the beginning of a dark time for the Gunditjmara people. the first recored massacre of Indigenous people in Victoria was recorded when over 200 Indigenous people were murdered following a dispute over a whale carcass that was washed ashore. My work intends to examine the complexities of intergenerational conversation, confrontational history and the ongoing repercussions of Australia's colonial history.