One of the foremost historians of black and white Australia, Henry says now is the time to acknowledge how the country was founded. Frontier violence, the myth of peaceful settlement, and the failure of the British to make treaties with the First Nations have led to consequences we still live with today (CW: material might be distressing to ATSI listeners)
When Henry moved to Townsville to teach history in 1965, there were almost no mentions of Aboriginal people in the core Australian history textbook.
He soon began his life's work of studying the intersection between settlers and Australia's First Nations and was shocked to discover the gaping holes in the country's story.
He found that even at the time Australia was claimed by the British, it was seen as legally shoddy and morally dubious.
He says the British messed up the colonisation of Australia by not making treaties with the First Nations, and that we're still living with the consequences of frontier violence today.
(CW: material might be distressing to ATSI listeners. Please use discretion.)
Further information
Truth-Telling: History, Sovereignty and the Uluru Statement is published by NewSouth
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