A 19th century Aboriginal ancestral breastplate has been returned to Country, entrusted by the community to be held at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum.

A brass breastplate with inscribed words: Mary Carpenter Queen of Jarvis Bay.
Unknown, Breastplate of Mary Carpenter - Queen of Jarvis Bay, 1880–1910, Image courtesy of Jervis Bay Maritime Museum, 2026.

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

A ceremony was held on 12 June at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum in New South Wales to acknowledge the return to Country of the breastplate, which will go on display at the Museum from 23 June 2026.

The breastplate was made between 1880-1910 and belonged to Queen Mary Carpenter, a famous resident of the Jerrinja Aboriginal Community. Queen Mary and her husband James Golding, also known as ‘Billy Budd II, King of Jarvis Bay’, played a prominent role in local Aboriginal community life.

The whereabouts of this breastplate was unknown after Queen Mary’s death until it was recently listed at auction. Acquisition of the breastplate was made with assistance from the Australian Government’s National Cultural Heritage Account.

The Account provides support for Australian cultural institutions to acquire, protect and provide access to significant objects of Australian heritage to ensure they are kept in the country and enjoyed by the public. Organisations can apply for funding at any time.

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