Four Aboriginal spears taken by Captain James Cook over 250 years ago will be permanently returned to Australia in a ceremony at Cambridge University. The spears, considered highly significant, were agreed for repatriation in March 2022 after a campaign and formal request from the La Perouse Aboriginal community. The return marks Trinity College’s commitment to reviewing the legacies of the British empire and acknowledges the historical misunderstandings and conflict that surrounded Captain Cook’s landing in Botany Bay.