ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns a specific exhibition at the National Museum of Australia (NMA). The NMA has gained much international sympathy for its difficult birth, complicated by the history wars led by the conservative Howard government at the time. The chapter challenges any views throughout the international museum sector that position the NMA as a mere victim of the history wars. It invites the reader to contemplate whether the NMA, well after the term of the Howard government, has, of its own choosing, unprompted by external forces, internalised a conservative, reactionary approach to projects that could bring about social change. Museum staff can support social justice by identifying ways, in consultation with survivors, in which survivors can benefit from curatorial research and representation in exhibitions. As part of this process, it is important not to imply that a survivor should be grateful for such curatorial attention or that museum recognition should be regarded by survivors as an honour or a privilege.
