Monumental Disruptions by Bronwyn Carlson and Terri Farrelly

About What is the place of Australias colonial memorials in todays society? Do we remove, destroy or amend? Monumental Disruptions investigates how these memorials have been viewed, and are viewed, by First Nations people to find a way forward.In June 2020, on the heels of Australias James Cook anniversary commemorations and statue-toppling Black Lives Matter protests in the USA, dozens of police were sent to guard a statue of Cook in Hyde Park, Sydney. Despite the police presence, two women spraypainted Ëœsovereignty never ceded across the statue.Scenes like this are being repeated around the world as societies reassess memorials that no longer reflect todays values. Should they be removed, destroyed or amended? Monumental Disruptions looks for answers. It investigates why commemorations were erected, their meaning for Aboriginal people in Australia, both then and now, and it compares Australias experience with that overseas.Those who question colonial commemorations have been called ËœUnAustralian; but, in Australia, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities are working together to forge new ways to mark the past. This timely book is essential reading for anyone interested in how a society commemorates and acknowledges its complex history.