The 19th century First Nations breastplate is of cultural and historical significance for the Gundungurra people in southeastern New South Wales.

Ancestral breastplate returned to Country

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned the following story contains the names of deceased persons.

A ceremony was held on 16 August at the Wollondilly Heritage Centre and Museum in New South Wales to acknowledge the return of the breastplate. The Museum was chosen by the community as a place of safe keeping for the breastplate.

The ‘Murooin-Carradgie’ breastplate was made between 1820 and 1840 and is inscribed with the name of Murrooin, a Gundungurra man who was known as a Cooradgie or ‘clever man’. Murrooin was the brother of Gundungurra man Myangarli, connected to the Burra Burra clan.

Murrooin was associated with Vanderville pastoral station located at present-day The Oaks, NSW, which relied on both Aboriginal and convict labour.

A brass breastplate engraved with ‘Murrooin Carradgie’.

The breastplate provides insight into Gundungurra experiences during early European settlement, including displacement, violence, and adaptation. The Wollondilly Heritage Centre and Museum will house the breastplate within the permanent Gundungurra Indigenous Exhibition where it will be accessible, acknowledged and connected with its people. This will provide an opportunity for the public to gain insight into Gundungurra narratives, local history and perspectives on the massacres and Aboriginal resistance on the colonial frontier.

Objects such as the ‘Murrooin-Carradgie’ breastplate are of cultural and historical significance for First Nations Australians. Their preservation and access support the increased understanding and sharing of important personal stories for the people and communities connected to these objects and who have been impacted by the historical events surrounding them. Pieces such as these are also of significant importance in documenting and learning about colonisation in Australia and its impact on First Nations people.

Acquisition of the breastplate was made with assistance from the Australian Government’s National Cultural Heritage Account (NCHA). The NCHA helps to retain and protect Australia’s cultural heritage for future generations and provides public access to important objects that tell a story about historical and cultural identity. Through the NCHA, organisations can apply for funding to acquire, protect and provide access to significant objects of Australian heritage to ensure they are kept in Australia.

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