HOBART, Australia (AP) — A museum in eastern Australia will return the skulls of eight Aborigines from Tasmania to the tribal lands from which they were taken a century ago, an official said Wednesday.
The skulls will be handed over to Aborigines in Tasmania’s capital, Hobart, on Friday at a ceremony capping three decades of campaigning for their return, said Robin Hirst, chief executive officer of the State Museum of Victoria in Melbourne.
The remains had been stored in the museum for the last 20 years after being found in the collection of a former anatomy professor at the University of Melbourne, Hirst said.
“It’s a satisfying, though long overdue breakthrough that will help with the healing process,” said Jay McDonald, one of three Aborigines who will accompany the skulls back to Tasmania.
