The exhibition Ngulla Wellamunagaa presented 16 stories that affirm ongoing connections to country and celebrate the survival, continuity and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Material from across the AIATSIS collection was presented alongside items lent by cultural centres, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and community members, including Link-Up SA, Gab Titui Cultural Centre, Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre and the Barker family.
Extensive curatorial research and community engagement was carried out in preparation for the exhibition. Research focused on the theme of ‘Resurgence’ - the way in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures have continued and flourished in contemporary Australia. AIATSIS staff visited communities in Queensland and NSW, and held workshops at AIATSIS with visiting artists and family members as part of the exhibition development consultation and engagement process. Creators, community members and knowledge holders were involved in the development of the exhibition and the display and interpretation of their stories and collection items. This approach has allowed our understandings of the collections to transform and further reflect the continuity of cultural knowledge and ongoing connections to collection materials.
While visitor numbers were affected by the bushfires and smoke and the closing date was brought forward by a week due to the closure of the National Museum of Australia (NMA) under COVID-19 restrictions, 17,390 people visited the permanent galleries while the exhibition was open. Further activities based on the exhibition’s content are planned for 2020–2021, including digital versions of the stories and 11 education packages.