The History wars are an ongoing public debate in Australia over the interpretation of the history of the European colonisation of Australia, and its impact on Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Colonialism. ... Languages Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including Islam and various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group... The Torres Strait Islander Flag. ...

The debate centres on whether Australia's history of European settlement since 1788 was:
a) humane, with the country being peacefully settled, with specific instances of mistreatment of Indigenous Australians being aberrations;
b) marred by both official and unofficial imperialism, exploitation, ill treatment, colonial dispossession, violent conflict and cultural genocide; or
c) somewhere in between. 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Languages Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including Islam and various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group... For the computer game, see Imperialism (computer game). ... Exploitation means many different things. ... In general, the word colonial means of or relating to a colony. In United States history, the term Colonial is used to refer to the period before US independence. ... Cultural genocide is a term used to describe the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage of a people or nation for political or military reasons. ... For other uses, see Genocide (disambiguation). ...

The History Wars also relates to broader themes concerning national identity, as well as methodological questions concerning the value and reliability of written records (of the authorities and settlers) and the oral tradition (of the Indigenous Australians), along with the ideological biases of those who interpret them. For publications of this name, see also Nation (disambiguation) A nation is a community of people who live together in an area (or, more broadly, of their descendants who may now be dispersed); and who regard themselves, or are regarded by others, as sharing some common identity, to which certain... Oral tradition or oral culture is a way of transmitting history, literature or law from one generation to the next in a civilization without a writing system. ... An ideology is a collection of ideas. ... For other uses, see Bias (disambiguation). ...

Background

In 1968 Professor W. E. H. "Bill" Stanner, an Australian anthropologist, coined the term the "Great Australian Silence" in a Boyer Lecture entitled "After the Dreaming"^[1], where he argued that the writing of Australian history was incomplete. He asserted that Australian national history as documented up to that point had largely been presented in a positive light, but that Indigenous Australians had been virtually ignored. He saw this as a structural and deliberate process to omit "several hundred thousand Aborigines who lived and died between 1788 and 1938… (who were but) … negative facts of history and … were in no way consequential for the modern period".^[2] Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Emeritus Professor W.E.H. Bill Stanner (1905-1981) was an Australian anthropologist who worked extensively with Indigenous Australians and played an important role in establishing the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. ... This article is about the social science. ... The Boyer Lectures began in 1959 as the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Lectures. ... Dreaming is a common term among Indigenous Australians for a personal, or group, creation story and for the mythological time of creation, as well as for the places where the creation spirits now lie dormant in the land. ... The written history of Australia began when Dutch explorers first sighted the country in the 17th century. ... Languages Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including Islam and various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group...

A new strand of Australian historiography subsequently emerged which gave much greater attention to the negative experiences wrought on Indigenous Australians by the British settlement of Australia. In the 1970s and 1980s, a number of progressive historians such as Manning Clark and Henry Reynolds began to publish books and articles which they saw as a corrective to the narrow, selective historiography which had, in their view, hitherto misrepresented or simply ignored Indigenous Australian history. Historiography studies the processes by which historical knowledge is obtained and transmitted. ... // Following the loss of the American Colonies, Britain needed to find alternative destinations that could take the population of its overcrowded prisons. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... The 1980s was the decade spanning from 1980 to 1989, also called The Eighties. The decade saw social, economic and general upheaval as wealth, production and western culture migrated to new industrializing economies. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... Manning Clark in his study in about 1988 Charles Manning Hope Clark AC (3 March 1915 – 23 May 1991), Australian historian, was the author of the best-known general history of Australia, his six-volume History of Australia, published between 1962 and 1987. ... Henry Reynolds is an Australian historian. ...

During these years, a circle grouped around the conservative literary and political journal Quadrant resisted these arguments. Chief among these critics was Australian historian Professor Geoffrey Blainey, who in his 1993 Sir John Latham Memorial Lecture popularised the phrase "black armband view of history" (see below). This phrase began to be used pejoratively by some right-wing and conservative Australian social scientists, politicians, commentators and intellectuals about historians whom they viewed as having presented an overly critical portrayal of Australian history, and as being preoccupied with mourning, grieving or shame. These critics have, in turn, been said to hold a 'white blindfold' view of history.^[3] Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. ... Look up Quadrant on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Quadrant can mean: HMS Quadrant (G11), a WW-II British/Australian warship. ... For other uses, see Historian (disambiguation). ... Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC (born 11 March 1930), is one of Australias most significant historians. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with pejoration. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... Terms like SOSE (Studies of Society & the Environment) not only refer to social sciences but also studies of the environment. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... The word commentator has many different meanings. ... Literati redirects here. ... The written history of Australia began when Dutch explorers first sighted the country in the 17th century. ... It has been suggested that Anticipatory Grief be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Shame (disambiguation). ...

These critics gained greater prominence after the election of the conservative federal Coalition government in 1996, with the former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard publicly championing their views. Conservative scholars, intellectuals, journalists and politicians have publicly challenged historians and others who interpret Australian settlement as being characterised by extensive violent conflict between the European settlers and Indigenous Australians. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The Prime Minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia, holding office on commission from the Governor-General. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. ...

Though originally waged primarily in the academic environment, an increasingly large proportion of the History Wars has in recent years been played out in the Australian print media, with regular opinion pieces being published in major broadsheets such as The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. More recently, arguments surrounding the History Wars have become intertwined with the debates about the content of high school history curricula. Print media includes newspapers, magazines, and the like. ... Newspaper sizes in August 2005. ... The Australian is a national daily broadsheet newspaper published by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ...

Black armband debate

The 'black armband' view of history is a phrase used by Australian historian Professor Geoffrey Blainey in his 1993 Sir John Latham Memorial Lecture to describe a view of history that focuses, as an illustrative example on the dispossession of Indigenous Australians. The lecture was subsequently published in conservative political and literary journal, Quadrant.^[4] Blainey contrasted this view with the Three Cheers view of history. For other uses, see Historian (disambiguation). ... Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC (born 11 March 1930), is one of Australias most significant historians. ... Languages Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including Islam and various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group... Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. ... Quadrant is an Australian literary and cultural journal founded in 1956 by Richard Krygier, a Polish-Jewish refugee who had been active in social-democrat politics in Europe, James McAuley, a Catholic poet. ...

Although it is claimed that Blainey coined the term, the phrase in the context of Australian history predates Blainey's 1993 speech by at least more than a decade. Leading up to the 1988 Bicentenary, Aboriginal protesters and Anglo-Celtic sympathisers used the phrase 'black armband' to describe the post-1788 history of Aboriginal Australia. In particular, a 1986 poster in Alice Springs asked Australians to 'wear a Black Armband' for the 'Aboriginal year of mourning'.^[5] See also: 1987 in Australia, other events of 1988, 1989 in Australia See also: 1988 Australian incumbents // Queen of Australia - HM Queen Elizabeth II Governor General - Sir Ninian Stephen Prime Minister - Bob Hawke Premier of New South Wales - Barrie Unsworth, then Nick Greiner Premier of South Australia - John Bannon Premier... Languages Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including Islam and various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group... Anglo-Celtic Australian is an ethnic or cultural category, used to describe the majority of Australians of North West European descent. ...

The phrase is used pejoratively by some Australian social scientists, politicians, commentators and intellectuals about historians who are seen to be writing critical Australian history 'while wearing a black armband' of mourning and grieving, or shame. They contest interpretations of Australia's history since 1788 that argue that the history is marred by both official and unofficial imperialism, exploitation, ill treatment, colonial dispossession and cultural genocide.^[5] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with pejoration. ... Terms like SOSE (Studies of Society & the Environment) not only refer to social sciences but also studies of the environment. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... The word commentator has many different meanings. ... Literati redirects here. ... The written history of Australia began when Dutch explorers first sighted the country in the 17th century. ... Armbands are strips of cloth or other distinctive material that are wrapped around the upper arm. ... For other uses, see Shame (disambiguation). ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... For the computer game, see Imperialism (computer game). ... Exploitation means many different things. ... In general, the word colonial means of or relating to a colony. In United States history, the term Colonial is used to refer to the period before US independence. ... Look up Possession in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Cultural genocide is a term used to describe the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage of a people or nation for political or military reasons. ... For other uses, see Genocide (disambiguation). ...

John Howard's involvement in the National Museum of Australia controversy and Keith Windschuttle's claims about Tasmanian settlement constitute arguments within this theoretical perspective. As was argued by Howard in the 1996 Sir Robert Menzies Lecture: John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. ... Central garden of the National Museum of Australia The National Museum of Australia first opened its doors to the public in March 2001 in the nations federal capital city of Canberra. ... Keith Windschuttle (born 1942) is an Australian writer who is the author of several books, including Unemployment (1979) which analyses the economic causes and social consequences of unemployment in Australia, The Media: a New Analysis of the Press, Television, Radio and Advertising in Australia (1984) on the political economy and... Slogan or Nickname: Island of Inspiration; The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle Motto(s): Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 5  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product...

Manning Clark was identified as being on the liberal left of the debate and was specifically named by Blainey in his 1993 speech as having "done much to spread the gloomy view and also the compassionate view with his powerful prose and Old Testament phrases."^[4] Particular historians and histories that are challenged include Henry Reynolds and the histories of massacres, particularly in Tasmania but also elsewhere in Australia. Manning Clark in his study in about 1988 Charles Manning Hope Clark AC (3 March 1915 – 23 May 1991), Australian historian, was the author of the best-known general history of Australia, his six-volume History of Australia, published between 1962 and 1987. ... Henry A. Reynolds, (born March 1, 1938), is an eminent Australian historian whose primary work has focused on the frontier conflict between European settlement of Australia and indigenous Australians. ... Look up massacre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Slogan or Nickname: Island of Inspiration; The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle Motto(s): Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 5  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product...

In his book Why Weren't We Told? in 1999, Reynolds referred once more to Stanner's "Great Australian Silence", and to "a 'mental block' which prevented Australians from coming to terms with the past"^[6]. He argued that the silencing of Australia's history of frontier violence in much of the twentieth century stands in stark contrast with the openness with which violence was admitted and discussed in the nineteenth: Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ...

Reynolds quotes many such excerpts from the press, including an article written in the Townsville Herald in Queensland as late as 1907, by a "pioneer" who described his part in a massacre: Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Reynolds commented that violence against Aboriginals, far from being hushed up or denied, was openly talked about: "[This] was printed in the daily newspaper of a major provincial city in 1907, six years after Federation. The writer confessed to mass murder without the slightest concern about prosecution or even social opprobrium."^[9]

Genocide debate

There has been much debate amongst certain Australian historians as to whether the European colonisation of Australian resulted in the genocide of groups of Aborigines, and in particular the Tasmanian Aborigines. Much of this debate centers on whether "the term 'genocide' only applies to cases of deliberate mass killings of Aborigines by European settlers, or whether the term 'genocide' might also apply to instances in which many Aboriginal people were killed by the reckless or unintended actions and omissions of settlers."^[10] For other uses, see Genocide (disambiguation). ... Languages Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including Islam and various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group... A picture of the last four Tasmanian Aborigines c. ...

Historians such as Tony Barta argue that for the victim group it matters little if they were wiped out as part of a planned attack. If a group is decimated as a result of smallpox introduced to Australia by British settlers, or introduced European farming methods causing a group of Aborigines to starve to death, the result is in his opinion genocide.^[11]

Henry Reynolds points out that European colonists and their descendants frequently use expressions that included "extermination", "extinction", and "extirpation" when discussing the treatment of Aborigines during the colonial period, and as in his opinion genocide "can take many forms, not all of them violent"^[10] this is an indicator of genocide. Henry Reynolds is an Australian historian. ...

Reynolds also points out that Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, considered "the action of the Tasmanian colonial government in the 1820s and 1830s" as genocide.^[10] Rafael Lemkin (June 24, 1900—August 28, 1959) was a lawyer of Polish-Jewish descent. ...

The political scientist Kenneth Minogue and other historians such as Keith Windschuttle disagree and think that no genocide took place.^[12][13] Minogue does not try to define genocide but argues that its use is an extreme manifestation of the guilt felt by modern Australian society about the past misconduct of their society to Aborigines. In his opinion its use reflects the process by which Australian society is trying to come to terms with its past wrongs and in doing this Australians are stretching the meaning of genocide to fit within this internal debate.^[14] Keith Windschuttle (born 1942) is an Australian writer who is the author of several books, including Unemployment (1979) which analyses the economic causes and social consequences of unemployment in Australia, The Media: a New Analysis of the Press, Television, Radio and Advertising in Australia (1984) on the political economy and...

Historian Judy Campbell argues that some historians, including Henry Reynolds, influenced by an idea of European ‘blame’ for an attempted genocide of the Australian Aborigines, have used tenuous evidence to link smallpox epidemics to British colonists. She suggests that these historians have overlooked evidence which indicates that the smallpox epidemics which devastated the Aboriginal population were not a result of contact with British settlers, but instead spread south from contact in the far North of Australia between Aborigines and visiting fishermen from what is now Indonesia.^[15]

In the April 2008 edition of The Monthly, David Day wrote further on the topic of genocide. He wrote that Lemkin considered genocide to encompass more than mass killings but also acts like "driv[ing] the original inhabitants off the land... confin[ing] them in reserves, where policies of deliberate neglect may be used to reduce their numbers... Tak[ing] indigenous children to absorb them within their own midst... assimilation to detach the people from their culture, language and religion, and often their names."^[16] This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... The Monthly is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis excepting the December/January issue. ... David Days Book Tolkiens Ring is a book written by David Day about the origins of Tolkiens Lord of the Rings story and the origins of Middle Earth in general. ...

Stolen Generations debate

Main article: Stolen Generations

Despite the lengthy and detailed findings set out in the 1997 Bringing Them Home report into the Stolen Generation, which documented the removal of Aboriginal children from their families by Australian government agencies and church missions, the nature and extent of the removals have been disputed within Australia, with some commentators questioning the findings contained in the report and asserting that the Stolen Generation has been exaggerated. Sir Ronald Wilson, former President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission and a Commissioner on the Inquiry, has stated that none of the more than 500 witnesses who appeared before the Inquiry were cross-examined. This failure to cross-examine has been the basis of criticism by the anthropologist Ron Brunton as well as by the conservative Liberal Party Federal Government.^[17] An Australian Federal Government submission has questioned the conduct of the Commission which produced the report, arguing that the Commission failed to critically appraise or test the claims on which it based the report and fails to distinguish between those separated from their families "with and without consent, and with and without good reason". Not only has the number of children removed from their parents been questioned, but also the intent and effects of the government policy.^[18] The Stolen Generation is a term used to describe the Australian Aboriginal children, usually of mixed descent, who were removed from their families by Australian government agencies and church missions, under various state acts of parliament, denying the rights of parents and making all Aboriginal cildren wards of the state... Bringing Them Home cover Bringing Them Home is the title of the Australian Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families. The enquiry was established by the federal Attorney-General, Michael Lavarch, on 11 May 1995, in response to efforts... Portrayal of The taking of the children on the Great Australian Clock, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney The Stolen Generation (or Stolen Generations) is a term used to describe the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, usually of mixed descent who were removed from their families, under the rationale of... This article describes the national government of Australia. ... For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ... Sir Ronald Wilson Sir Ronald Wilson, AC , KBE , CMG , QC , LL.M , LL.B ( 23 August 1922- 15 July 2005) was born on 23 August 1922 . ... Dr Ron Brunton is an Australian, he is currently the Director of Encompass Research Pty Ltd and a Director of the Board of the public broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Commission for a five year term from 1 May 2003. ... This article is about the modern Australian political party. ...

Some conservative critics, such as Andrew Bolt, have publicly questioned the very existence of the Stolen Generation. Bolt considers that it is a "preposterous and obscene" myth and that there was actually no policy in any state or territory at any time for the systematic removal of "half-caste" Aboriginal children. Robert Manne has responded that Bolt's failure to address the wealth of documentary evidence demonstrating the existence of the Stolen Generations amounts to a clear case of historical denialism.^[19] Bolt has publicly challenged Robert Manne to produce ten cases in which the evidence justifies the claim that they were "stolen" as opposed to having been removed for legitimate reasons such as neglect, abuse, abandonment, etc. He argues that Robert Manne's inability to produce as few as ten credible cases is a good indicator of how unreliable the claims that there was policy of systematic removal are.^[20] In reply, Manne stated that he supplied a documented list of 250 names^[21][22] Bolt indicates that prior to a debate with Manne, Manne provided him with a list of 12 names that Bolt states he was able to show during the debate was “a list of people abandoned, saved from abuse or voluntarily given up by their parents”. During the actual debate, Manne produced a list of 250 names without any details or documentation as to their circumstances. Bolt has subsequently been able to identify and ascertain the history of some of those on the list and claims he has yet to find a case where there is evidence to justify the term ‘stolen’. One of the names on the list of allegedly stolen children was 13 year old Dolly, taken into the care of the State after being "found seven months pregnant and penniless, working for nothing on a station". ^[23] Andrew Bolt (born 26 September 1959) is an Australian newspaper columnist and conservative pundit. ... Historical revisionism is the attempt to change commonly held ideas about the past. ... Denialism describes the position of governments, business groups, interest groups, or individuals who reject propositions that are strongly supported by scientific or historical evidence and seek to influence policy processes and outcomes accordingly. ...

Windschuttle's The Fabrication of Aboriginal History

In 2002, historian Keith Windschuttle, in his book The Fabrication of Aboriginal History, Volume One: Van Diemen's Land 1803-1847, questions the historical evidence used to identify the actual number of Aborigines deliberately killed during European colonisation, especially focusing on the Black War in Tasmania. He argues that there is credible evidence for the violent deaths of only 118 Tasmanian Aborigines, as having been directly killed by the British, although there were undoubtedly an unquantifiable number of other deaths for which no evidence exists. He argues that the Tasmanian Aboriginal population was devastated by a lethal cocktail of introduced diseases to which they had little or no resistance due to their isolation from the mainland and the rest of humanity for thousands of years. The deaths and infertility caused by these introduced diseases, combined with the deaths from what violent conflict there was, rapidly decimated the relatively small Aboriginal population. Windschuttle also examined the nature of those violent episodes that did occur and concluded that there is no credible evidence of warfare over territory. Windschuttle argues that the primary source of conflict between the British and the Aborigines was raids by Aborigines, often involving violent attacks on settlers, to acquire goods (such as blankets, metal implements and 'exotic' foods) from the British. With this and with a detailed examination of footnotes in and evidence cited by the earlier historical works, he criticises the claims by historians such as Henry Reynolds and Professor Lyndall Ryan that there was a campaign of guerrilla warfare against British settlement. Particular historians and histories that are challenged include Henry Reynolds and the histories of massacres, particularly in Tasmania but also elsewhere in Australia. Windschuttle's claims are based upon the argument that the 'orthodox' view of Australian history were founded on hearsay or the misleading use of evidence by historians. Historiography studies the processes by which historical knowledge is obtained and transmitted. ... Poster issued in Van Diemens Land during the Black War depicting Lieutenant-Governor Daveys policy of friendship and equal justice for settlers and Aborigines. ... Henry Reynolds is an Australian historian. ... Lyndall Ryan (1943 - ) is an Australian academic. ... Look up massacre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Slogan or Nickname: Island of Inspiration; The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle Motto(s): Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 5  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product...

Windschuttle argues that, in order to advance the ‘deliberate genocide’ argument, Reynolds has misused source documentation, including that from British colonist sources, by quoting out of context. In particular, he accuses Reynolds of selectively quoting from responses to an 1830 survey in Tasmania in that Reynolds quoted only from those responses that could be construed as advocating "extermination", "extinction", and "extirpation" and failed to mention other responses to the survey, which indicated that a majority of respondents rejected genocide, were sympathetic to the plight of the Aborigines, feared that conflict arising from Aboriginal attacks upon settlers would result in the extinction of the Tasmanian Aborigines and advocated the adoption of courses of action to prevent this happening. ^[24]

Windschuttle's claims and research have been disputed by some historians, in Whitewash. On Keith Windschuttle's Fabrication of Aboriginal History, an anthology including contributions from Henry Reynolds and Professor Lyndall Ryan, edited and introduced by Robert Manne, professor of politics at La Trobe University.^{[citation needed]} This anthology, has itself been the subject of examination by author John Dawson, in Washout: On the academic response to The Fabrication of Aboriginal History, which argues that "Whitewash" leaves Windschuttle's claims and research unrefuted. ^[25] Henry Reynolds is an Australian historian. ... Lyndall Ryan (1943 - ) is an Australian academic. ... Robert Manne is a professor of politics at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia and one of Australias foremost public intellectuals. ... La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. ...

In "Contra Windschuttle", an article published in the conservative publication Quadrant, S.G. Foster examined some of the evidence that Windschuttle presented on one issue, Stanner's notion of the "Great Australian Silence". In Foster’s opinion, the evidence produced by Windschuttle did not prove his case that the "Great Australian Silence" was largely a myth. Windschuttle argues that, in the years prior to Stanner’s 1968 Boyer lecture, Australian historians had not been silent on the Aborigines although, in most cases, the historians’ “discussions were not to Stanner’s taste” and the Aborigines “might not have been treated in the way Reynolds and his colleagues would have liked”.^[26] Foster argues that Windschuttle is “merciless with those who get their facts wrong” and that the fact that Windschuttle has also made mistakes means that he did not meet the criteria that he used to assess 'orthodox historians' he was arguing against and whom he accused of deliberately misrepresenting, misquoting, exaggerating and fabricating evidence relating to the level and nature of violent conflict between Aborigines and white settlers.^[27] Quadrant is an Australian literary and cultural journal founded in 1956 by Richard Krygier, a Polish-Jewish refugee who had been active in social-democrat politics in Europe, James McAuley, a Catholic poet. ...

At the time of the publication of The Fabrication of Aboriginal History, Volume One it was announced that a second volume, to be published in 2003, would cover claims of frontier violence in New South Wales and Queensland, and a third, in 2004, would cover Western Australia.^[28] On 20 January 2006, Windschuttle was reported as saying that the second volume would be published "within twelve months". [^[29] On 9 February 2008, however, it was announced that the second volume, to be published later in 2008. would be entitled The Fabrication of Australian History, Volume 2: The "Stolen Generations" and would address the issue of the removal of Aboriginal children (the "stolen generation from their families in the 20th century. ^[30]. No recent reference has been made to the previously projected second and third volumes. is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Portrayal of The taking of the children on the Great Australian Clock, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney The Stolen Generation (or Stolen Generations) is a term used to describe the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, usually of mixed descent who were removed from their families, under the rationale of...

Stuart Macintyre's The History Wars

In 2003 Australian historian Stuart Macintyre published The History Wars, written with Anna Clark.^[31] This was a study of the background of, and arguments surrounding, recent developments in Australian historiography, and concluded that the History Wars had done damage to the nature of objective Australian history. The book was launched by former Prime Minister Paul Keating, who took the opportunity to criticise conservative views of Australian history, and those who hold them (such as the then Prime Minister John Howard), saying that they suffered from "a failure of imagination", and said that The History Wars "rolls out the canvas of this debate."^[32] Macintyre's critics, such as Greg Melluish (History Lecturer at the University of Wollongong), responded to the book by declaring that Macintyre was a partisan history warrior himself, and that "its primary arguments are derived from the pro-Communist polemics of the Cold War."^[33] Keith Windschuttle said that Macintyre attempted to "caricature the history debate."^[34] In a foreword to the book, former Chief Justice of Australia Sir Anthony Mason said that the book was "a fascinating study of the recent endeavours to rewrite or reinterpret the history of European settlement in Australia."^[35] Stuart Forbes Macintyre (born 21 April 1947), Australian historian and academic, is a professor and the dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne. ... History of Australia before 1901 Main article: History of Australia before 1901 Australia has been inhabited for at least 50,000 years, since the remote ancestors of the current Australian Aboriginal people arrived from Southeast Asia. ... For other persons named Paul Keating, see Paul Keating (disambiguation). ... The University of Wollongong is a large University with approximately 21,000 students in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The Chief Justice of Australia is the senior justice of the High Court of Australia and the highest-ranking judicial officer in the Commonwealth of Australia. ...

National Museum of Australia controversy

In 2003 the Howard Government commissioned a review of the National Museum of Australia. The investigating panel found that many of the historical narratives contained within the Museum exhibits were incoherent, confusing and unbalanced. While the report concluded that there was no systemic bias, it recommended that there be more recognition in the exhibits of European achievements.^[36] John Howard John Winston Howard (born July 26, 1939), is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, coming to office on March 11, 1996 and winning re-election in 1998, 2001 and 2004. ... Central garden of the National Museum of Australia The National Museum of Australia first opened its doors to the public in March 2001 in the nations federal capital city of Canberra. ...

The report drew the ire of some historians in Australia, who claimed that it was a deliberate attempt on the part of the Government to politicise the museum and move it more towards a position which Geoff Blainey called "the three cheers" version of Australian history (all the good things), rather than the so called "black armband" view.^[37]

Others claimed that the National Museum was already grossly politicised and that a National Museum should present a more balanced view of the nation's history rather than a relentless focus on the negative.^[38]

History wars and culture wars

The "history wars" are widely viewed, by external observers and participants on both sides as an extension of the "culture war" originating in the United States. William D. Rubinstein, writing for the conservative British think tank the Social Affairs Unit, refers to the history wars as "the Culture War down under"^[39]. Windschuttle and other conservative participants in the debate are frequently described as "culture warriors". ^[40][41]. The culture war (or culture wars) in American usage is a metaphor used to claim that political conflict is based on sets of conflicting values. ... This article is about the institution. ... The Social Affairs Unit is a registered charity in the United Kingdom. ...

The defeat of the Howard government in the Australian Federal election, and its replacement by the Rudd Labor government has altered the dynamic of the debate. In an article published in 2006, Rudd argued John Howard's use of the history and culture wars was "a fraud" aimed at diverting attention away from more important issues ^[42], a view contested by Windschuttle. ^[43]

Since the change of government, and the passage, with support from all parties, of a Parliamentary apology to indigenous Australians, it has been claimed that "the culture wars are over", a claim normally taken to encompass the history wars ^[44]. This view has been rejected by a number of conservative commentators.^[45].

Protagonists

• Geoffrey Blainey
• Stuart Macintyre
• Robert Manne
• Henry Reynolds
• Lyndall Ryan
• Keith Windschuttle

Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC (born 11 March 1930), is one of Australias most significant historians. ... Stuart Forbes Macintyre (born 21 April 1947), Australian historian and academic, is a professor and the dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne. ... Robert Manne is a professor of politics at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia and one of Australias foremost public intellectuals. ... Henry Reynolds is an Australian historian. ... Lyndall Ryan (1943 - ) is an Australian academic. ... Keith Windschuttle (born 1942) is an Australian writer who is the author of several books, including Unemployment (1979) which analyses the economic causes and social consequences of unemployment in Australia, The Media: a New Analysis of the Press, Television, Radio and Advertising in Australia (1984) on the political economy and...

See also

• History of Australia
• Indigenous Australians
• Tasmanian Aborigine
• Black War
• List of massacres of indigenous Australians

The written history of Australia began when Dutch explorers first sighted the country in the 17th century. ... Languages Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including Islam and various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group... The Tasmanian Aboriginals are the indigenous people of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. ... Poster issued in Van Diemens Land during the Black War depicting Lieutenant-Governor Daveys policy of friendship and equal justice for settlers and Aborigines. ... This is a list of massacres of Aboriginal Australians. ...

References

• Stanner, W.E.H. (ed), (1979). "After the Dreaming" in White Man Got No Dreaming: Essays 1938-1973, ISBN 0-7081-1802-X. W.E.H. Stanner pp. 198-248
• Macintyre, Stuart and Clark, Anna (2003). The History Wars,Melbourne University Publishing, Carlton, Victoria, ISBN 0-522-85091-X
• Windschuttle, Keith (2002). The Fabrication of Aboriginal History, Volume One: Van Diemen's Land 1803-1847, ISBN 1-876492-05-8

Emeritus Professor W.E.H. Bill Stanner (1905-1981) was an Australian anthropologist who worked extensively with Indigenous Australians and played an important role in establishing the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. ...

Further reading

Books

• Attwood, Bain (2005). Telling The Truth About Aboriginal History , ISBN 1-74114-577-5
• Dawson, John (2004). Washout: On the academic response to The Fabrication of Aboriginal History, ISBN 1-876492-12-0
• Manne, Robert(ed), (2003). Whitewash. On Keith Windschuttle's Fabrication of Aboriginal History. ISBN 0-9750769-0-6

Articles

• Foster, S.G. Contra Windschuttle, Quadrant, March 2003, 47:3
• Francis, P., The Whole Truth...?, (2000) , The Journal of GEOS
• History Wars Special in the Sydney Morning Herald
• Who plays Stalin in our History Wars? Stuart Macintyre
• Keith Windschuttle, "Postmodernism and the Fabrication of Aboriginal History"

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Footnotes