Manchester Museum has returned 174 cultural items belonging to an Australian Aboriginal community back to them this week.
Manchester Museum – which officially reopened back in February after a two-year £15 million transformation project – has been working collaboratively with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) and the Anindilyakwa Land Council over the last three years to determine where these items should live, and where they would stand the best chance of “inspiring future generations”.
It was decided that this would be within the communities of their origin.
The Museum says building “a greater understanding and empathy between cultures” is central to its mission, and in this, it’s committed to the “unconditional return” of collections and belongings to origin communities as important way of creating a more “equitable and hopeful future” for museums.
Manchester Museum has returned 174 cultural heritage items to Australian Aboriginal communities / Credit: Chris Bull (via Manchester Museum)
It follows in a 20-year history of returning items to Indigenous communities, and is guided by Manchester Museum’s values of “inclusivity, imagination, and care”, which it says is “underpinned” by the University of Manchester‘s own commitment to social responsibility.
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The Museum says it takes great pride in working together with relevant Indigenous communities to tell their stories in “different” ways.
And so, continuing on with mission, earlier this week, a delegation from the Aboriginal Anindilyakwa community of Groote Eylandt – which is an island located approximately 50km from the north coast of mainland Australia in the Northern Territory – joined staff at Manchester Museum.
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The community delegates were present for the formal return of the 174 cultural heritage items that were previously in the Museum’s possession.
This morning we celebrated the return of 174 cultural heritage items to the Anindilyakwa People.
Georgina Young, Head of Exhibitions and Collections at Manchester Museum, talks about why this repatriation is so special & what events we have on this week. pic.twitter.com/92ScqSzIay
One of the highlights of the collection that was returned is a group of dolls made from shells – Dadikwakwa-kwa in the Anindilyakwa language – which have not only unlocked a rich cultural history, but also inspired the Dadikwakwa-kwa Project led by ten talented women artists from Anindilyakwa Art Centre.
Two of the artists, senior elder Noeleen Lalara and emerging leader Maicie Lalara, were a part of the delegation of Anindilyakwa women that will be present at Manchester Museum for the handover, alongside emerging leader Amethea Mamarika.
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The Dadikwakwa-kwa Project was partly-inspired by the conversations that took place with Amethea’s grandmother (Old Lady Edith Mamarika) on Groote Eylandt around her memories of the shell dolls now being returned.
Traditionally painted by parents for their daughters using intricate ochre designs, they have helped to strengthen cross-generational bonds within the Anindilyakwa community.
Some of the items that have been returned to the Aboriginal Anindilyakwa community / Credit: Manchester Museum
The Museum says the return of these items is already supporting Anindilyakwa in “cultural strengthening” and “revitalisation” – with descendant generations using the items to connect with their heritage.
Speaking as the items were returned, Georgina Young, who is the Head of Exhibitions and Collections, Manchester Museum, said: “Having spent time on Groote Eylandt at the invitation of the Anindilyakwa People makes reaching this point of handover feel momentous in a different way to any of Manchester Museum’s past returns.
Sitting with Elders and hearing them discuss this collection on their land in their terms has enabled me to understand and care in ways not possible in a store room in Manchester, and brought us to a place of understanding together.
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“We are excited by all that this return makes possible in terms of future partnership, but more so by how it supports Anindilyakwa cultural strengthening for years to come.”
Stephen Smith, who is the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, has also praised the Museum for the items’ return, adding: “The return of these significant cultural heritage items is important for Australia’s reconciliation process.
“It also helps renew cultural practices and safeguard such practices and items for future generations.”
Featured Image – Manchester Museum
News
Tesco are introducing ‘VAR-style’ self-checkouts in the UK
Danny Jones
Many people think VAR has already gone too far and want it gone from football full stop, and we’re here to tell you that you’re a fool; your hopes are in vain, and the technology is only going to become more common as time goes on. Sorry.
So much so, in fact, that Tesco look are bringing in their own virtual referee into self-checkout systems in shops. You could say the ‘game’s gone…’
Of course, we’re being a bit flippant here, but if you have seen ‘VAR’ and ‘Tesco‘, you’re not seeing things: this is genuinely a thing that is being rolled out here in the UK, with video footage of the supermarket chain’s next self-checkout technology going viral online.
Thought you’d got away with sneaking an extra little something in the bag without paying? Think again.
— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) May 28, 2025
We’ll admit, this was the first time we’d come across the technology, but as it turns out, the updated self-checkout service has been in place for a while.
Similar VAR checkouts have already been installed at other retailers, Sainsbury’s and ASDA, although some reports claim that while stores capture footage of shoppers to check if they’ve scanned all of their items, it is thought that not all of these self-service tills show a playback when an error is detected.
Although this particular speculation has sparked some uproar and debate online, many have quite rightly pointed out that CCTV records your movement in any given shop.
Regardless, it’s fair to say that aside from the obvious memes and people poking fun at the new system, many on social media have shared some pretty strong opinions on the matter.
Not that it matters much – it’s likely this will soon become increasingly the norm, with the likes of Sainsbury’s having already introduced barriers which require customers to scan their receipt in order to leave at branches such as the site on Regent Road Retail Park over in Salford.
As yet, it’s unclear how many of these new self-service tills are in operation and whether they are limited to larger supermarket locations of their Express convenience stores, but don’t be surprised if you come across one.
Put simply, if a barcode isn’t registered before being put on the scale and/or set aside to be packed away, the Tesco till will read: “The last item wasn’t scanned properly. Remove from bagging area and try again.”
Addressing these new VAR-style checkouts in an official statement, a company spokesperson said: “We are always looking at technology to make life easier for our customers.
“We have recently installed a new system at some stores which helps customers using self-service checkouts identify if an item has not been scanned properly, making the checkout process quicker and easier.”
What do you make of the new Tesco and their new VAR self-checkout technology?
Ruben Amorim reacts as Manchester United are booed off after Malaysia friendly
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has delivered a fairly brutal response after his club were booed off by supporters during a friendly in Malaysia.
The Red Devils recently embarked on a post-season tour following a calamitous 2024/25 campaign, both domestically and continentally, with that limp loss in the Europa League final, but have already resumed what has become alarmingly normal service with yet another defeat.
Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur – a squad comprised of various talents from around the region who had never played together before and were only founded as an actual team back in 2014 – it was all far from clean slates and fresh starts.
In the wake of the shock result, Man United were booed off by the Malaysian and other international fans inside the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which saw more than 70,000 in attendance.
It’s the end and that’s it. Man United got boo’ed by the fans after the final whistle.
They got beaten by non-full team Asean All-Star who just trained together as a group few days before the match. pic.twitter.com/fBxnMiZPN8
For context, the ASEAN All-Stars had only trained together for the first time just days before the game itself, but the de facto exhibition outfit still managed to break the deadlock in the 71st minute against a United side that rarely looked like scoring.
All that being said, Amorim had some choice words for his own players in his post-match duties after their first post-season tour fixture, insisting that while he always remains accountable, those out on the pitch perhaps received somewhat of a deserved reckoning too.
He began by stating, “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. [I have been responsible] since the first day”, but went on to argue: “The boos from the fans, I think it something that we need, maybe.”
Citing that the Old Trafford faithful and die-hard away fans have always been loyal and supportive despite frustration in the league, he suggested that “maybe they will change the way they behave” following this latest reality check.
Despite adding that he has seen reasons for optimism in performances against Man City and Liverpool, for instance, where he felt he saw “belief” and seeds of what’s to come, he’s made very few excuses for the poor displays up to now.
United face the Hong Kong national team in their next friendly on Friday, 29 May, and it’s fair to say anything less than a win would be beyond bad for the predictably unpredictable Premier League club.
You can see his full post-match press conference down below.
Emily Sergeant -
6th September 2023 
