Sydney Road Blaks

In 1847, ten black men were surveilled travelling down Sydney Road. Where did they come from? Where were they going? The Assistant Protector for Aborigines investigated and, to his astonishment, found the men were South Sea Islanders ‘imported’ by Benjamin Boyd.

'Sydney Road Blaks' considers settler surveillance, the racial hierarchy between white settlers, Aboriginal peoples and Pacific Islanders, and the underlying colonial networks of capitalism and trade that haunt Sydney Road, both before 1847, and after.

This exhibition features works by Aboriginal, South Sea and Pacific Islander artists including Paola Balla, Daniel Boyd, Destiny Deacon, Lisa Hilli, Kim Kruger, Savanna Kruger, Mandy Nicholson, Sofii Belling-Harding and Stacie Piper. Curated by Kim Kruger, Savanna Kruger and Lisa Hilli.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.