The battle for Coranderrk was one of the first sustained campaigns
for justice, land rights and self-determination. Proud of their culture, their
community and their award-winning farm, the Kulin people (led by William Barak)
lobbied against the Aboriginal Protection Board and greedy local landowners, who
wanted them removed. The authors foreground the events which led to the protest
campaign, the 1881 Parliamentary Inquiry, and the aftermath. In verbatim-theatre,
professional actors rescue Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal witnesses from dusty
archives, allowing them to speak to a contemporary audience. Coranderrk now allows all readers that
same access.
