Sea of Hands 20 year anniversary commemorated
03 Nov 2017 - by
Photo by John Clark
A small 'puddle' of hands was recently planted on the grass roof of the Chapel at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture in Canberra in the lead up to the annual David Hunter Memorial Lecture.
The lecture which was held on Tuesday 31st October at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture reflected on 20 years since the first Sea of Hands, and the Uluru Statement.
The first Sea of Hands was installed at Parliament House in Canberra in 1997.
The event was chaired by Janet Hunt and included a welcome to country from Aunty Agnes. Other speakers included Tristan Ray, David Cooper, Shannan Dodson, Chris Bourke and Jennie Gordon.
The David Hunter memorial lecture is organized by ACT ANTaR – Australia's main non-Indigenous organization for reconciliation.
David Hunterwas one of the founding members of ANTaR, and an enormously supportive and inspiring activist on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues. In October 2000 he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and he died in December 2003 and subsequently posthumously awarded his PhD in New Testament in the School of Theology, CSU.
Since then, ANTaR ACT has hosted an annual memorial lecture in memory of David's contributions to reconciliation and Indigenous rights. The lectures have been held at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture because of David Hunter's support and affiliation with the work of the Centre.
Check out this Youtube clip of the installations around the country in the wake of the first display at Canberra's Parliament House:
And a shorter clip from the 10th anniversary: