than in Australia. Settled during the
The Stolen History of Enlightenment, “this land has long been
our Stolen Generation painted by its historians as the “quiet
continent,” its indigenes dreamily awaiting
How Australia has covered up the discovery by the civilized British, then
darker aspects of its past throughout luckily protected by colonists who were
history and in its Education Curriculum natural heirs to liberalism’s enlightened
fruits.”1 Born ‘modern’, there are no
equivalents to Hernan Cortes, who in
1520 brought the two hundred and fifty
thousand strong city of Tenochtitlan to
Introduction
ruins, or Hernando de Soto, who
It comes at a great surprise to many permitted the slaying of up to eleven
Australians that our history is a massively thousand American Indians at one time
contested affair, with political agendas during the 16th century.2 And yet,
setting out to mask the darker aspects of Australia’s colonial genocidal practices
our past in order to build a proud and were no different to others. This applies
glorious example of the successful
implementation of a social democracy. 1
J an Kociumbas, ‘Genocide and Modernity in
Nowhere in the world are the ideas of Colonial Australia,1788-1850’ in Dirk Moses
(ed.), Genocide and Settler Society : Frontier
colonial genocide during the eighteenth Violence and Stolen Indigenous Children in
and nineteenth century more entrenched Australian History, (New York:Berghahn Books,
2004), 77
2
Ibid.
America had a “frontier”, it was
contended; “Australia merely had an
to the nation whether one defines ‘outback.’”4 This term carried connotations
genocide as “deliberate physical or of a boundaryless void, a spatial and
biological extermination”, or includes historical desert. Economic historian, R.M.
‘bloodless’ activities, “such as destruction Hartwell, stated that Australia “possessed
of health, standards of living, language, “some of the features of the American
faith, and cultural identity”3, and we can frontier,” but only insofar as life there for
find examples of both of these all over colonists meant “a harsh struggle” against
Australia. And yet, these genocides are environmental odds.”5 He maintained
rarely addressed in our schooling system, that:
with students being presented a veil of
“Australia had large tracts of empty
comforting truths and half-lies to mask
grazing country awaiting occupation … the
them from Australia's dark history.
settlement was relatively uncomplicated:
the continent was empty, for the
unfortunate Aborigines offered no serious
“Plenty, Shoot ‘Em” - Tasmania and
cultural or economic opposition.”6
Queensland
In order to highlight the shortcomings of
our education system, we must examine
Australia's colonial history. Unlike 4
aymond Evans, ‘“Plenty Shoot Em” The
R
America, Australia has never had anything Destruction of Aboriginal Societies along the
Queensland Frontier’ in Dirk Moses (ed.),
that anyone would define as a frontier.
Genocide and Settler Society : Frontier Violence
and Stolen Indigenous Children in Australian
History, (New York:Berghahn Books, 2004), 151
3
Jan Kociumbas, ‘Genocide and Modernity in 5
Ibid.
Colonial Australia,1788-1850’, 78 6
Ibid.
2
most degraded race on the face of the
earth. They are dirty, lazy … specimens of
human beings.”7 He commented on the
many shooting parties that formed daily,
“and as there was no game to kill, it
consisted of making repeated attacks on
This could not have been further from the
the blacks.”8 In retaliation to a speared
truth. Both the French in 1862 and the
white settler, one hundred white male
English in 1873 found themselves upon a
settlers, accompanied by the police,
frontier in Queensland that bristled with
“flushed Darnambul men, women and
weaponry on both sides. Augustus
children from their hiding places in caves
Cutlack, a British migrant and an
and crevices and crevices of hills.”9 “An
eyewitness to many of the attacks against
the indigenous population, wrote that the
Aborigines “are a low, savage, treacherous
7
Raymond Evans, ‘“Plenty Shoot Em” The
Destruction of Aboriginal Societies along the
looking race of people. … [They] are the Queensland Frontier’, 155
8
Ibid.
9
Ibid., 156
3
estimated three hundred Aboriginals … and to write nothing of these deeds. So
were shot or drowned in the [adjacent] succeeding generations of white
lake”10, their bones remaining scattered Australians are easily able to believe that
across the landscape until they were actual slaughter of the Aborigines
destroyed by a fierce bushfire in 1898.11 occurred rarely if at all.”15
This trend was also seen in Tasmania,
This highlights the method in which
with Tasmanian Aboriginals “shot like
Australia displays its history. It will often
kangaroos and poisoned like dogs.”12
display a few events in order to mask the
Many angry voices argued for the
greater picture, giving the impression that
extermination of the local indigenous
it was not as bad as it could have been.
population. Rural landowner, George
The nation chooses to ignore the darker
Espie, argued “that in his view the country
aspects of its past so it does not have to
must either belong to the Black or the
carry the moral burdens of genocide. We
White, and that he could see “no other
choose to believe the lie that Aborigines
remedy but their speedy capture or
were so “primitive and peaceable,” and
extermination.””13 The Colonial Times
their resistance to invasion was so
declared that “THE GOVERNMENT MUST
sporadic and ineffectual, that men rarely
REMOVE THE NATIVES— IF NOT, THEY
had to go armed on the Australian
WILL BE HUNTED DOWN LIKE WILD
frontier.16 Any conflict is presented in our
BEASTS AND DESTROYED.” In the words
14
education system as a war, with
of historian Russell Ward, private
aggression being met with reprisals and
colonists and officials:
revenge when in reality it played out as a
“certainly butchered, in the aggregate, genocide. This is not the only instance of
scores of thousands of black men, women masking within our history.
and babies but … tacitly conspired to say
10
Raymond Evans, ‘“Plenty Shoot Em” The
Destruction of Aboriginal Societies along the
Queensland Frontier’, 156
11
Ibid.
12
Henry Reynolds, ‘Genocide in Tasmania?’ in
Moses, Dirk (ed.), Genocide and Settler Society:
Frontier Violence and Stolen Indigenous Children
in Australian History, (New York: Berghahn 15
Raymond Evans, ‘“Plenty Shoot Em” The
Books, 2004), 127 Destruction of Aboriginal Societies along the
13
Ibid. 141 Queensland Frontier’, 152
14
Ibid. 142 16
Ibid.
4
Cape of Good Hope for emergency food.18
The situation, however, rectified itself with
the emergence of a plague of smallpox
that caused the death of a great number
“The Convenient Plague” - New South of Aboriginal men, women and children.
Wales This plague made “food-gathering
impossible and eroding faith in traditional
In April of 1789, the new settlement at
medicine and cosmology, the illness also
Sydney, New South Wales was not doing
destroyed morale among survivors, the
particularly well. This lonely outpost,
more so since it visibly attacked none of
clinging to the edge of the Parramatta
the white settlers.”19 This ‘faceless killer’
River, had suffered a series of misfortunes
directed historians attentions away from
in the first year of its existence. Livestock
the more overly murderous acts such as
had been lost, crops had failed, and “by
the poisonings and shootings.20 Moreover,
the first winter both the settlers and the
it laid a foundation for “the notion that
Aboriginal people were hungry, the
Aboriginal people were not killed outright,
newcomers having quickly exhausted
but owing to their own personal
local resources of fish and game.”17 Far
weaknesses and cultural flaws, sadly just
too many of the convicts had succumbed
“faded away.””21 In actuality, there was a
to scurvy, had been hanged for the theft
readily available treatment for the plague,
of stores, or been picked off by Aboriginal
a fact that would have been masked from
spears, and one of the two ships had
history had it not been for the writings of
been dispatched urgently towards the
18
Ibid.
19
Ibid.
Jan Kociumbas, ‘ Genocide and Modernity in
17 20
Ibid., 82
Colonial Australia,1788-1850’, 80 21
Ibid.
5
an Aboriginal sympathiser within the fleet, frontier.26 It stated that the footnotes
Captain Trench.22 The British had at their texts used by historians did not support
disposal “variolous matter in bottles”23, the point made in the text in an attempt
but while the written accounts from the to disregard their works.27 Fabrication
time describe the number of corpses argued that “there was no policy of
strewn around the harbor, none mention removal or destruction of the
the use of the variola. Moreover, newly
24
Tasmanians; in fact governments had
inoculated babies born in this time were tried to protect them.”28 It described the
susceptible to the disease, but seem to settlers as “law abiding good Christians
have survived.25 While none seek to deny defending their persons and property”29
this epidemic happened, most prefer to and stated that the indigenous population
excuse it as a tragic sideline in the overall owed their survival over thousands of
theme of British liberalism and humanity years “more to good fortune than good
in their colonial policy, and this is how it is management.”30 Finally it argued that the
taught within our education system. Yet Aboriginal attacks were products of
we cannot ignore the lack of humanity simple lawlessness, and that robbery and
that led to the deaths of so many violence were “two customs they had
Aborigines, and the destruction of their come to relish.”31 The text was naive and
culture for miles inland. farcical in nature, a historian marching to
the beat of his own drum in the face of a
thousand other professional researchers,
The History Wars - “There was no such and yet it was taken up by a slew of
thing as a Stolen Generation” conservative intellectuals and
commentators who used it to build their
So what does our nation choose to say
propaganda disguised as political and
about these acts of genocide. In 2002,
Keith Windschuttle’s The Fabrication of
Aboriginal History argued against the idea
26
Ann Curthoys & John Docker, ‘History Wars’
in Curthoys, Ann & Docker, John (eds.), Is
that Tasmania witnessed a violent History Fiction, (New South Wales: University of
New South Wales Press, 2010), 229
27
Ibid.
28
Keith Windschuttle, The Fabrication of
22
Ibid. 81 Aboriginal History, (Sydney: Macleay Press,
23
Jan Kociumbas, ‘ Genocide and Modernity in 2002), 349
Colonial Australia,1788-1850’, 81 29
Ibid. 129
24
Ibid. 30
Ibid.
25
Ibid. 31
Ibid.
6
“the attention given to Aboriginal
historical analysis. This text was used
32
suffering” and were relieved to be free of
not only to disregard Tasmanian any guilt for sins of the past.35 Under the
Aboriginals, but indigenous history as a Labor Party, during the administration of
whole. For instance, the Aboriginal Affairs Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, a new
minister during that administration, John national curriculum was formed, one that
Herron, insisted there “was no such thing disregarded Aboriginal study in favour of
as a stolen generation.”33 The text was a new, proud history of our nation.
also adopted by Prime Minister John
Howard, who was determined to enforce
“a ‘re-balancing’ of the curriculum toward
The Faults in our Curriculum
greater recognition of Western civilisation
and Australian achievements and within When examining the National Curriculum
which history was taught in a more it must be noted that the study of our
‘objective’ way.”34 This involved history does not begin until Grade 9. Here
discussions on the successful students study the subject Making a
implementation of Australian democracy, Nation, a topic that has 5 ACDSEH
and on Australian achievements. This idea (Australian Curriculum, Depth Study,
was readily adopted by the media and by Elective, History) criteria that must be
non-aboriginals, people who were tired of met. The first of these is “the extension of
settlement, including the effects of
32
Tony Birch, ‘‘History is never bloodless‘ contact (intended and unintended)
Getting it wrong after one hundred years of
federation’, A
ustralian Historical Studies, 33:118
between European settlers in Australia
(2002), 43
33
Tony Birch, ‘‘History is never bloodless‘
Getting it wrong after one hundred years of Raymond Evans, ‘“Plenty Shoot Em” The
35
federation’, 44 Destruction of Aboriginal Societies along the
34
Ibid. Queensland Frontier’, 153
7
and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander onto “key people, events and ideas in the
Peoples.”36 This topic highlights the development of Australian
intended and unintended effects of self-government and democracy.”38 It
contact, such as the spread of diseases, finally examines “Laws made by federal
and massacres of Aboriginals and Torres Parliament between 1901-1914 including
Strait Islanders, and their killing of sheep. the Harvester Judgment, pensions, and
37
It also investigates the forcible removal the Immigration Restriction Act.”39 All of
of children from their families. It is these topics create the idea of a proud
degrading in nature, often displaying the and noble history within Australia, and
effects of contact as unintentional, an seek to overshadow the darker aspects of
accident or as retaliation for Indigenous our past with multiple examples of how
actions. This highlights the method within Australia formed a successful social
Australia’s history of acknowledging the democracy. This disgusting practice
occurrence of an event, but blaming it on degrades Indigenous history, ignoring the
unavoidable or unintentional suffering and hardships they have faced
occurrences. It broadcasts colonial post-colonisation, and gives students a
violence as a war, of settlers defending flawed interpretation of their nation.
themselves against Indigenous Unless a student chooses to dig deeper,
aggression, as opposed to a one-sided to seek out the darker aspects of
genocide. It must also be noted that the 4 Australia's past and read about the
other criteria in this subject do not focus genocides and crimes committed, they
on Indigenous study at all. It examines are fed a veil of comforting truths and
“experiences of non-Europeans in half-lies mask our nation's history. This
Australia prior to the 1900s (such as the disgusting practices has created a nation
Japanese, Chinese, South Sea Islanders, that is ignorant of its own past, and does
Afghans)” and “living and working not understand the sufferings of its own
conditions in Australia around the turn of indigenous population.
the twentieth century” before moving
36
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and
Reporting Authority, ‘History’, The Australian
Curriculum [Website], (2018)
<[Link]
0-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/
history/>, accessed 17/10/2018 38
Ibid.
37
Ibid. 39
Ibid.
8
References: Peterson, Andrew, ‘Different
battlegrounds, similar concerns? The
Australian Curriculum, Assessment
‘history wars’ and the teaching of history
and Reporting Authority, ‘History’, The
in Australia and England’, Compare: A
Australian Curriculum [Website], (2018)
Journal of Comparative and International
<[Link]
Education, 46/6 (2016), 861-881
u/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-s
ciences/history/>, accessed 17/10/2018 Reynolds, Henry. ‘Genocide in
Tasmania?’ in Moses, Dirk (ed.), Genocide
Birch, Tony, ‘‘History is never
and Settler Society: Frontier Violence and
bloodless‘ Getting it wrong after one
Stolen Indigenous Children in Australian
hundred years of federation’, Australian
History, (New York: Berghahn Books,
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2004)
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Windschuttle, Keith, The
‘History Wars’ in Curthoys, Ann & Docker,
Fabrication of Aboriginal History, (Sydney:
John (eds.), Is History Fiction, (New South
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Em” The Destruction of Aboriginal was no genocide against Indigenous
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10