Beau Dean Riley Smith on Being Bennelong

The Sydney Opera House may be Australia’s most prominent cultural icon but how many people know the story behind the geographic landmark it sits upon, Bennelong Point?

It is a great shame that most people – including this writer – know so little about Indigenous man Woollarawarre Bennelong, and the crucial role he played in first contact with white settlers almost two centuries before the building was even conceived.

Bangarra Dance Theatre’s production Bennelong explores this conflicted man and the fascinating life he led – from his community in Sydney’s Port Jackson area, to his triumphant trip to (and return from) London, to the tragic end of his life.

The man entrusted with bringing Bennelong’s story alive is senior dancer Beau Dean Riley Smith. It is the dancer’s first lead role and it’s clear how much research and deep thought have gone into his characterisation. He has read everything he could lay his hands, including the letter Bennelong wrote on arrival in London requesting a pair of stockings to combat the foreign European winter.

“I’m still wrapping my head around it, to be honest. Bennelong is such an iconic Indigenous figure and it’s a great honour, but it’s hard getting it right,” says Riley Smith. “I didn’t know much about him; it’s a name we all know but not a lot of people know the content behind the name.”

What is known is that Bennelong was a senior man of the Eora who was captured in 1789 and brought to the settlement at Sydney Cove by order of Governor Phillip, who wanted to better understand Aboriginal peoples’ local customs and language. Bennelong quickly mastered English and developed a taste for English food and alcohol, befriending Governor Phillip whom he referred to as “father” and who ultimately had a brick hut built for him on the eastern point of Sydney Cove (now called Bennelong Point).

Three years later he sailed to England with Phillip where he was presented to King George III but he soon became homesick, so far removed from his people. He returned to Sydney in late 1795 “much broken of spirit” and, caught between two worlds, became an alcoholic. He died in 1813.

“He is an iconic Indigenous figure and was the first of many: the first guinea pig of assimilation, the first to go overseas, the first Indigenous author. He was just a fascinating person,” says Riley Smith.

People who are familiar with his story often fall into two groups: those who believe Bennelong was a leader and those who view him as someone who sold out to the white man. “People already have their own interpretations of who he is. They say you’re either a Bennelong or a Pemulwuy [an Indigenous warrior from the Georges River]: a conformist or a fighter, almost like political terms,” Riley Smith says. “But I think he was misunderstood. He was already an established leader of his clan so I don’t think he would have assimilated lightly. He would have to have been quite smart to play the game.” Whatever your belief, it is indisputable Bennelong’s courage enabled conversation between European and Aboriginal people.

An abstract narrative, Bennelong has been choreographed by artistic director Stephen Page in collaboration with the 18-strong company of dancers, set designer Jake Nash and costumer designer Jennifer Irwin to a score composed by Steve Francis.

Riley Smith joined Bangarra in 2013, a graduate of both the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, where he studied theatre. A Wiradjuri man born in Dubbo, Riley Smith feels most at home when choreographing and last year made his mainstage choreographic debut in Miyagan, a collaboration with fellow dancer and cousin, Daniel Riley for the OUR land stories people program. “I really enjoy dancing but choreography is what I love and it’s quite addictive, like doing a puzzle.”

Like many of his fellow dancers, Riley Smith says Bangarra gives him the chance to not only continually learn about his culture, but also share those stories with his community.

“Bangarra is a clan of its own, it’s definitely its own family with its own foundation, lineage and history,” he says. “And being able to share our stories and teach workshops to remote communities is our favourite thing. To go and inspire little kids and ignite that flame in them, to help them realise they can achieve whatever they want to achieve and to get that spark in their eye. It’s joyous.”

Bennelong runs at the Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre from March 15 to 18. Tickets are available online

This article was updated on January 25, 2018.