In 1770, Captain Cook got secret instructions to find the ‘Great South Land’.

His ship The Endeavour sailed into Kamay Botany Bay, the land of the Gweagal people.

How did the Gweagal people meet Captain Cook and his crew?

How did they communicate?

What happened over the eight days that Captain Cook stayed in Botany Bay?

Students from Marrickville West Primary School in Sydney tell us what they know about this encounter.

Ray Ingrey and Paul Irish, along with Captain Cook’s own diary, tell the story of this first meeting, answer kids’ questions, and reflect on how it went.

How to use this episode in your classroom

Play all the way through (23 minutes) or play half the episode (11 minutes) and pause.
We'll tell you when you've reached halfway, and recap the episode.
Use the 4 page Learning Materials worksheet PDF with your class, and find more resources on our website.

Voices

Ray Ingrey is a Dharawal person from the La Perouse Community. He is a Director of the Gujuga Foundation.
Paul Irish is a professional historian who has worked for the past twenty years with Aboriginal heritage and history.
Captain’s Cook diary is voiced by Nick Hopwood.

Episode image

Gweagal spears reproduced with the permission of the Dharawal and La Perouse community, and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, formerly MAA D 1914.1-4

Transcript

Music

Curiously and Curiously and Roundpine by Blue Dot Sessions.

Credits

Hosted by Axel Clark.
Made on Gadigal Country by Anna Clark, Clare Wright, Jane Curtis and Britta Jorgensen.
Executive producers are Clare Wright and Anna Clark.
Podcast concept, design and development by Anna Clark.
Indigenous Cultural Consultant is Katrina Thorpe.
Story editor is Kyla Slaven.
Learning material by Nick Adeney, Victorian primary educator
Curriculum advisors are Nicole Laauw, Department of Education NSW, and Rose Reid, Association of Independent Schools of NSW

Thanks to all the students whose voices you hear in this episode and their schools and teachers: Princes Street Primary school, Marrickville West Primary School, Westbourne Grammar School, Preshil Primary School, La Perouse Primary School, and Yirrkala Bilingual School.

Hey History! is produced by the Australian Centre for Public History at UTS and UTS Impact Studios.

Impact Studios' executive producer is Sarah Gilbert.