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The historian, archeologist and director of Coast History and Heritage, will talk about his book Hidden in Plain View: The Aboriginal People of Coastal Sydney, on Saturday, February 2 at 2.30pm in the Kiama Family History Centre.

The book, which was published in 2017, tells the powerful story of aboriginal lives in the 19^th century that was largely ignored in colonial narratives, and won the Regional Community History Prize at the 2018 NSW Premier’s History Awards.

Hidden in Plain View shows that Aboriginal people never disappeared from Sydney as is often assumed. Instead they lived across colonial Sydney and interacted with its residents and economy, often in unexpected ways.

They also travelled to nurture family connections along the coast beyond Sydney, including south to the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.

Dr Irish will also introduce the exhibition in the library titled ‘This is Where They Travelled: Historical Aboriginal Lives in Sydney’, created with researchers from the La Perouse Aboriginal community.

The exhibition maps the lives of a number of Aboriginal people with connections to coastal Sydney in the 19^th and early 20^th century.

The exhibition will remain open for the month of February.

Entry will be by donation of $5 for members and $8 for guests. Afternoon tea will be provided upstairs in the library.

Copies of the book will be on sale.