Interpreting shared and contested histories: The Broken Links exhibition

The exhibition Broken Links: Stolen Generations in Queensland focused on the history and impacts of the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their biological parents in Queensland, Australia between 1869 and 1969. This exhibition is discussed as a case study of “hot interpretation” (Ballantyne and Uzzell 1993), which incorporates emotion into the design of interpretive experiences in order to provoke cognitive and behavioral responses. Visitors’ responses to the exhibition are explored and issues regarding the use of “hot interpretation” techniques are discussed. Five principles are derived for the application of hot interpretive techniques in the context of shared and contested histories, with the aim of encouraging visitors to see their own history from a different perspective.