The descendent of one of Victoria's first settlers has called for monuments memorialising her ancestors to be removed or destroyed Suzannah Henty is a sixth-generation descendent of James Henty, one of the Henty brothers who were early European colonisers of Gunditjmara Country in southwest Victoria. Ms Henty on Thursday faced the Yoorrook Justice Commission, a hearing into injustices against Indigenous Victorians related to land, sky and waters.
The commission also heard that attempts by the British government to control convict colonies and prevent violence between Aboriginal people and settlers instead led to the systematic destruction of historic cultures. On Wednesday, the commission delved into the topics of protection, segregation and assimilation practices, with evidence from University of Tasmania historian Henry Reynolds and University of Melbourne anthropologist Marcia Langton.