Butchulla elder Glen Miller looks forward to unveiling memorial

An elder of the Fraser Coast Aboriginal tribe is looking forward to recognising his ancestors, who fought and died for their country, at the unveiling of a long overdue memorial to the lives lost at settlement.

Memorials are one of Maryborough’s drawcards.

From its stunning cenotaph to the memorial paying tribute to Lieutenant Duncan Chapman, the first man ashore on April 25, 1915, at Gallipoli to the monument in Wharf St that recognises the sacrifice and hardships of South Sea islanders, the city has no shortage.

But no where in the city, or across the Fraser Coast, has there been a memorial to the lives of the nation’s first people.

The Butchulla lives lost at settlement went unrecognised, unacknowledged, but one man wanted to change all that.

Butchulla elder Glen Miller has been campaigning, then fundraising, then designing the memorial, which will be unveiled by the end of 2022.

Butchulla elder Glen Miller has been campaigning, then fundraising, then designing the memorial, which is now set to be unveiled by the end of 2022.

It will feature three shields, all of which have been pierced by a musket.

The sculpture depicts the end result of the unequal match between spear and musket, defender and intruder and ask the observer to imagine what must have happened when Butchulla men threw all of their spears and stood there waiting for them to be thrown back – but instead were cut down by musket balls.

The sculpture would show three Butchulla shields lying on the ground as they would have been dropped by the Butchulla defenders: each shield would have a musket ball hole in it.

The sculpture will show three Butchulla shields lying on the ground as they would have been dropped by the Butchulla defenders: each shield would have a musket ball hole in it.

The memorial would also include a plaque which would outline the reason for the memorial and an interpretation of the sculpture.

The three shields commemorate the three Butchulla laws: What is good for the land comes first; Do not touch or take anything that does not belong to you; and if you have plenty you must share.

Butchulla elder Glen Miller with the shields that will form the moulds for the Maryborough monument to lives lost at settlement.

Mr Miller said the memorial symbolised not only the survival of the Butchulla people against the odds, but also the true spirit of reconciliation.

“For me I guess it’s the end of a journey that started 25 years ago,” he said.

“It’s a symbol that finally those Aboriginal men who died anonymously defending their country will be recognised.

“And it’s also for me a symbol of reconciliation because there’s been a lot of community people and non-Aboriginal people who made significant contributions to the creation of this whole idea and the creation of the monument itself.

‘Remembering those men who died is important but also recognising this has provided a vehicle where true reconciliation can take place.”

Originally published as Butchulla elder Glen Miller looks forward to unveiling memorial