Aboriginal Australia Through My Eyes

• Aboriginal life before Europeans

• Dutch explorers came…

• William Dampier

• Aboriginal people

• Historiography – History’s history

What I’m going to talk about

Aboriginal life before Europeans

• Eels live in fresh water but spawn in sea

• Amazing migrations eg Centennial Park longfin eels travel to New Caledonia

• How do baby eels ‘know’ the return journey ??

• Possible eel farming communities in Western Victoria (at odds with Terra Nullius assumptiion)

• Trading eels with other tribes

Dutch explorers came …

• Wilhelm Janszoon ‘discovers’ Australia (near Weipa, QLD), 1606

• Here Aborigines killed ten or so crew

• Dirk Hartog lands at island in Shark Bay (WA), 1616

• Bloodthirsty Dutch mutiny, Batavia, Abrolhos Islands, off Geraldton, 1629

• Van Diemens Land named by Abel Tasman in 1642 after Governor of East Indies Company

• Island re-named to Tasmania, 1856

William Dampier (Englishman)

• Ship: Roebuck

• Landed at Shark Bay, 1699

• Went northward

• Carried out scientific record of flora and fauna

• Published Voyage to New Holland, 1703

Aboriginal people – Bennelong (1764-1813)

• ‘Met’ Governor at age 25, 1789

• Ambassador between Eora and British

• Good friends with James Squire

• Escaped, reunited (but Governor speared !!)

• Hut built for he and wife Barangaroo, 1791

• Travelled to England, 1792

• Met King George III

• Son, aged 19, adopted by Methodist minister

• Beware, seagulls !!

The taking of Colbee and Benalon, 25 Novr 1789. (State Library of NSW)

Aboriginal people – Albert Namatjira (1902-59)

• Born Hermannsburg (now Ntaria) – Lutheran mission

• Was ‘camel boy’, married wrong ‘skin’

• Pokerwork art, later learnt watercolour (a European artform)

• Exhibitions - Melbourne (1938), Adelaide, Sydney

• Presented to the Queen (Canberra, 1954)

• First Aboriginal citizen of Australia (1957)

• Ongoing ‘Humbugging’ (forced sharing) problems

• Supplying alcohol to kin – sentence: 6 months hard labour

• Inspiration for Papunya and other Aboriginal art

• Assimilation era – friend of Paul HasluckThe Finke River Gorge at entrance to Glen Helen c.1945-53 (Queensland Art Gallery)

Aboriginal people – Albert Namatjira (1902-59)

Albert Namatjira, Boomerang

(1936 pokerwork art)

stamp, 1968

Centenary stamp set, 2002

Aboriginal people – Sir Douglas Nicholls (1906-88)

• Born Cummeragunja

• Footballer (3rd in Brownlow, 1934)

• Footballer (Victorian State Team, 1935)

• Social Worker, Pastor (Fitzroy C of C)

• Led Australia’s first Aboriginal ‘Church’ (Fitzroy)

• Knighted (OBE), 1972

• Met Queen (1970), Pope (1973)

• Governor, South Australia (1976-77)

Aboriginal people – Jimmy Little AO (1937-2012)

• Born Cumeragunja

• First single (1956)

• Films include Shadow of the Boomerang (1960),

Until the World Ends (1991)

• Hits incl Danny Boy (1959), Royal Telephone (1963 – GOLD),

Baby Blue (1974)

• Named Australian Pop Star of Year (1964)

• Household name

• ARIA Hall of Fame (1999)

• Golden Gospel Award (2002)

• Released 34th Album (2004)

• Set up Foundation for Indigenous health – www.jlf.org.au

Baby BlueShe wrote me todayThat she won't be back to stayThat she only come to pick up her clothesShe wrote I must not cryAnd her love for me has diedBut she found somebody else I suppose

Baby blue, baby blueDo you know that I still in love with youNow I know that you won't be here no moreOh, how I need you, how I want you, baby blue

Royal TelephoneTelephone to glory, oh, what joy divine!I can feel the current moving on the line.Made by God the Father for His very own,You may talk to Jesus on this royal telephone.

Central’s never busy, always on the line,You can hear from heaven almost any time.’Tis a royal service, built for one and all,When you get in trouble, give this royal line a call.

Aboriginal people – Jimmy Little (1937-2012)

Aboriginal people – Jimmy Little AO (1937-2012)

• Born Cumeragunja

• First single (1956)

• Films include Shadow of the Boomerang (1960),

Until the World Ends (1991)

• Hits incl Danny Boy (1959), Royal Telephone (1963 – GOLD),

Baby Blue (1974)

• Named Australian Pop Star of Year (1964)

• Household name

• ARIA Hall of Fame (1999)

• Golden Gospel Award (2002)

• Released 34th Album (2004)

• Set up Foundation for Indigenous health – www.jlf.org.au

What is history ?? Who creates history ??

Analysing biases, vested interests of writers

Which authors are ‘sexy’ ??

Universities and Museums are important culture-shapers.

Historiography – history’s history

Does History Matter Anymore ??

‘OLD’ History – conservative, objective, driven by evidence and written documents – targets intellect

‘NEW’ History – postmodern, revisionist, Marxist outlook (eg gender/class) struggles – targets emotions

‘History Wars’ applied to –

Historiography – history’s history

Settlement

Stolen Generation

Smith St AlcoholBan, 2009

Missions Other Australan History

Frontier Wars

Hindmarsh Island saga (SWB)

Intervention

Alcohol Tamworth,Country hotspots

Professor Marcia Langton

In some critical respects, the outcome is what many have recommended for decades: interventions to prevent the abuse, rape and assault of Aboriginal women and children and [take] decisive action against the perpetrators.

- Sydney Morning Herald, November 30 2007

Noel Pearson

…in order to give effect to that hope [no child suffers abuse], we've got to stop the grog, we've got to get the police in there and we've got to have an absolutely vigilant attitude towards the behaviour of adults around children, particularly if they're drinking and particularly if the circumstances of children are such that they're vulnerable to abuse.

- ABC Lateline, June 26 2007

Thoughts on 2007 NTER Intervention

Historiography – history’s history

Does History Matter Anymore ??

‘OLD’ History – conservative, objective, driven by evidence and written documents – targets intellect

‘NEW’ History – postmodern, revisionist, Marxist outlook (eg gender/class) struggles – targets emotions

‘History Wars’ applied to –

Historiography – history’s history

Settlement

Stolen Generation

Smith St AlcoholBan, 2009

Missions Other Australan History

Frontier Wars

Hindmarsh Island saga (SWB)

Intervention

Alcohol Tamworth,Country hotspots

• Aboriginal life before Europeans

• Dutch explorers came…

• William Dampier

• Aboriginal people

• Historiography – History’s history

Hello, were you awake ??