Once there were three
on horseback
In their stiff scratchy uniforms
patrolling the fields
with narrowed eyes
As the sun dipped
and the shadows grew.
Instead of three
there were only two.
Scanning the landscape
searching for days.
Where was the third,
well, no one knew.
Soon voices grew louder and
fingers started pointing.
“It must’ve been them.”
“The ones in the bush.”
“Those feral animals,”
“They must be punished.”
The tribe in the bush
had done nothing wrong.
But it was too late,
the ambush had started.
With no chance to speak,
gunshots were fired
and the ground shook
with hooves and boots.
Then there was silence,
few bodies left breathing.
A few days after
the third appeared out of nowhere.
“I forgot to tell you I was gone,”
He said.
They all just laughed it off
and nodded their heads.
Not once did they stop
and realise the crime they had committed.
Sacrificing hundreds of lives
for one ‘missing person’.
To this day all that stands
is a few gravestones and
a barbed wire fence.
It is worth nothing compared to all of the lives lost.
This has left scars
on the hearts of many
But if we can come together
we can move forward.
We can learn from the past
and not make the same mistakes
in the future.
“Learn from legacy, heal from country”
Artist Statement:
This Narrative poem is based on the true story of the Hospital Creek massacre. When I heard this story, I thought that it was so important and that it showed just how judgemental and broken the relationship between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people is. Without even a second of questioning, the English people just assumed that the local Indigenous tribe had taken the man, and they decided to kill the whole tribe. In this story is important to recognise and acknowledge that what happened was wrong, and we need to ensure that this horrific event never happens again. We must put this in the past and make sure that we move forward together. Artists Statement My artwork represents the Dreamtime story of the Rainbow Serpent. It is a dreamtime story of how everything was created and shaped by a giant rainbow serpent travelling across the land. The colours in the background gradient represent the different landscapes the snake travelled through. For example, the red represents the outback soil, the yellow represents the sand, and the blue represents the lakes, creeks and rivers. The white patterns in the snake represent the Indigenous people. For example, the three stripes represent the three generations or the realms the Indigenous people believe they go through throughout their lives. The circles in the centre represent a meeting place where they all live harmoniously.
Reconciliation means…
To me, reconciliation means mending the friendship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Some horrible things happened between us in the past, and we need to put all those things behind us and move forward as one. Together, we can help shape the future, learn from our past mistakes, and heal our country.
Artist: Eadie Einstein
Many of these resources and activities have been developed in consultation with NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) to ensure that the program meets NSW curriculum outcomes for Stages 3, 4 & 5.
Reconciliation NSW aims to create a reconciled, just and equitable community for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. We work to inform, support and inspire people to engage in reconciliation.
E: schools@reconciliationnsw.org.au
T: 02 8095 9600
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