However, she is a thoroughly grounded young woman with a respect for history, and the strong conviction that its stories must be told to the present generation, even the most uncomfortable and reprehensible episodes.
One such episode is the appalling Appin Massacre, the inspiration for her creation of “Macq”. In fact, this current performance (originally presented in 2013) marks the 200th anniversary of the brutal killing of 14 D’harawal people southwest of Sydney in 1816.
Sheppard recalls seeing Macquarie’s statue in a busy Liverpool Street and wondering why he held such a revered place in the Australian historical narrative. “He did some good things,” she said, “but he made some terrible mistakes.”
A strangely contradictory man, in 1814 Macquarie issued a warning to the settlers of south-west Sydney that inhumane treatment of the Aboriginals would be punished, yet in 1816 he sent an expedition into the area with orders “to inflict terrible and exemplary punishments” on a peaceful people.
With an instinct for maximum dramatic impact, Sheppard has chosen to depict the conflict between Macquarie and Bundle, a D’harawal man, who reluctantly acts as guide to the men who will behead his kin, exposing the full horror of a barbaric decision.
It takes some adjustment to reconcile this dark, uncompromising narrative with the small vibrant woman, red lipstick matching her red jumper, gracefully curled in the armchair opposite. However, Sheppard is passionate about the need for truth in the representation of the past. If the truth hurts it also makes healing possible.
