Milbi Wall (The Story Wall)

To acknowledge the significance of the first known European contact with the Aboriginal people of the area, Cook Shire Council decided to have a Memorial to tell from an Aboriginal point of view. Council invited local Aboriginal people to tell their story in ceramic tiles and build a Story Wall right at the spot where, in 1770, Captain James Cook and his crew first set foot. The Milbi Wall was developed by a group of local Aboriginal artists and storytellers, with assistance from a well-known potter and the Gungarde Aboriginal Corporation. The 12m long Milbi Wall was built in three sections. Part one explains the Creation Stories and shows how the Endeavour River and Cooktown were made. Part two commemorates the first historic meeting between Aboriginal people and Captain Cook and his crew. It traces the history of Aboriginal people from the early settlement times and the gold-rush days, until the Second World War. Part three depicts the important 1967 referendum when the Australian people overwhelmingly recognised the right of Aboriginal people to equality with all other Australians and it shows the advances Aboriginal people have made as well as recognising the problems they have faced.