Henry Reynolds

The publication of this book in 1981 profoundly changed the way in which we understand the history of relations between indigenous Australians and European settlers. Describes in meticulous and compelling detail the ways in which Aborigines responded to the arrival of Europeans.

Aboriginal Resistance to the European Invasion of Australia

The Other Side of the Frontier

Australia is dotted with memorials to soldiers who fought in wars overseas. Why are there no official memorials or commemorations of the wars that were fought on Australian soil between Aborigines and white colonists? Why is it more controversial to talk about the frontier war now than it was one hundred years ago? Forgotten War continues the story told in Henry Reynolds' seminal book The Other Side of the Frontier, which argued that the settlement of Australia had a high level of violence and conflict that we chose to ignore. That book prompted a flowering of research and fieldwork that Reynolds draws on here to give a thorough and systematic account of what caused the frontier wars between white colonists and Aborigines, how many people died and whether the colonists themselves saw frontier conflict as a form of warfare. It is particularly timely as we approach the centenary of WWI. This powerful book makes it clear that there can be no reconciliation without acknowledging the wars fought on our own soil.

Forgotten War

Nicholas Clements

Henry Reynolds and Nicholas Clements uncover the extraordinary story of one of Australia’s greatest military leaders. Tongerlongeter is an epic story of resistance, sorrow and survival. Leader of the Oyster Bay nation of south-east Tasmania in the 1820s and ’30s, Tongerlongeter and his allies prosecuted the most effective frontier resistance ever mounted on Australian soil, inﬂicting some 354 casualties. His brilliant campaign inspired terror throughout the colony, forcing Governor George Arthur to counter with a massive military operation in 1830. Tongerlongeter escaped but the cumulative losses had taken their toll. On New Year’s Eve 1831, having lost his arm, his country, and all but 25 of his people, the chief agreed to an armistice. In exile on Flinders Island, Tongerlongeter united remnant tribes and became the settlement’s ‘King’ — a beacon of hope in a hopeless situation. ‘A masterpiece of military history’ — Michael McKernan, The Canberra Times ‘The astonishing story of Tongerlongeter’s valiant struggle to defend his Country, whatever the cost.’ — Mark McKenna, Sydney Morning Herald ‘Henry Reynolds and Nicholas Clements have worked some powerful historical magic to conjure out of a dark and foggy Tasmanian past the image of a tall, handsome, noble warrior named Tongerlongeter...’ — Charles Wooley, The Weekend Australian

First Nations Leader and Tasmanian War Hero

Tongerlongeter

If we are to take seriously the need for telling the truth about our history, we must start at first principles. What if the sovereignty of the First Nations was recognised by European international law in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries? What if the audacious British annexation of a whole continent was not seen as acceptable at the time and the colonial office in Britain understood that 'peaceful settlement' was a fiction? If the 1901 parliament did not have control of the whole continent, particularly the North, by what right could the new nation claim it? The historical record shows that the argument of the Uluru Statement from the Heart is stronger than many people imagine and the centuries-long legal position about British claims to the land far less imposing than it appears. In Truth-Telling, influential historian Henry Reynolds pulls the rug from legal and historical assumptions, with his usual sharp eye and rigour, in a book that's about the present as much as the past. His work shows exactly why our national war memorial must acknowledge the frontier wars, why we must change the date of our national day, and why treaties are important. Most of all, it makes urgently clear that the Uluru Statement is no rhetorical flourish but carries the weight of history and law and gives us a map for the future.

History, sovereignty and the Uluru Statement

Truth-Telling

Historian Henry Reynolds has found himself being asked these questions by many people, over many years, in all parts of Australia. The acclaimed Why Weren't We Told?is a frank account of his personal journal towards the realisation that he, like generations of Australians, grew up with a distorted and idealised version of the past. From the author's unforgettable encounter in a North Queensland jail with injustice towards Aboriginal children, to his friendship with Eddi Mabo, to his shattering of the myths about our 'peaceful' history, this bestselling book will shock, move and intrigue. Why Weren't We Told?is crucial reading on the most important debate in Australia as we enter the twenty-first century.

A Personal Search for the Truth about Our History

Why Weren't We Told?

When it was first published in 1987, The Law of the Landreassessed the legal and political arguments traditionally used to justify European settlement of Australia. Henry Reynolds argued compellingly that the British government in fact conceded land rights to the Aborigines early in the nineteenth century. In rejecting the concept of terra nulliusin the historic Mabo case of 1992, the High Court of Australia effectively verified Henry Reynold's conclusions on the issue of native title. Now update to cover the Mabo judgement, the Wik decision of 1996 and subsequent developments, Reynold's remarkable and seminal work remains central to the race debate in Australia.

The Law of the Land

Marilyn Lake

In recent years Anzac, an idea as much as an actual army corps, has become the dominant force within Australian history, overshadowing everything else. The commemoration of Anzac Day is bigger than ever, while Remembrance Day, VE Day, VP Day and other military anniversaries grow in significance each year.

The Militarisation of Australian History

What's Wrong with ANZAC?

"What if the sovereignty of the First Nations was recognised by European international law in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries? What if the audacious British annexation of a whole continent was not seen as acceptable at the time and the colonial office in Britain understood that 'peaceful settlement' was a fiction? If the 1901 parliament did not have control of the whole continent, particularly the North, by what right could the new nation claim it? The historical record shows that the argument of the Uluru Statement from the Heart is stronger than many people imagine and the centuries-long legal position about British claims to the land far less imposing than it appears. In Truth-Telling, influential historian Henry Reynolds pulls the rug from legal and historical assumptions, with his usual sharp eye and rigour, in a book that's about the present as much as the past. His work shows exactly why our national war memorial must acknowledge the frontier wars, why we must change the date of our national day, and why treaties are important. Most of all, it makes urgently clear that the Uluru Statement is no rhetorical flourish but carries the weight of history and law and gives us a map for the future."--

History, Sovereignty and the Uluru Statement

Truth-telling

This captivating work charts the history of Tasmania from the arrival of European maritime expeditions in the late eighteenth century, through to the modern day. By presenting the perspectives of both Indigenous Tasmanians and British settlers, author Henry Reynolds provides an original and engaging exploration of these first fraught encounters. Utilising key themes to bind his narrative, Reynolds explores how geography created a unique economic and migratory history for Tasmania, quite separate from the mainland experience. He offers an astute analysis of the island's economic and demographic reality, by noting that this facilitated the survival of a rich heritage of colonial architecture unique in Australia, and allowed the resident population to foster a powerful web of kinship. Reynolds' remarkable capacity to empathise with the characters of his chronicle makes this a powerful, engaging and moving account of Tasmania's unique position within Australian history.

A History of Tasmania

Reflections on Race, State, and Nation

Aboriginal Sovereignty

'We are at war with them,' wrote a Tasmanian settler in 1831. 'What we call their crime is what in a white man we should call patriotism.' Australia is dotted with memorials to soldiers who fought in wars overseas. So why are there no official memorials or commemorations of the wars that were fought on Australian soil between First Nations people and white colonists? Why is it more controversial to talk about the frontier wars now than it was one hundred years ago? In this updated edition of Forgotten War, winner of the 2014 Victorian Premier's Award for non-fiction, influential historian Henry Reynolds makes it clear that there can be no reconciliation without acknowledging the wars fought on our own soil. 'Impressive âe¦ In terse, uncompromising sentences, Reynolds lays out a new road map towards true reconciliation.' - Raymond Evans, The Age 'A brilliant light shone into a dark forgetfulness: ground-breaking, authoritative, compelling.' - Kate Grenville 'Forgotten War invites us to recognise and applaud the courage and tenacity of those Aborigines who defended their lands against impossible odds and to recognise the cost to them and to their descendants.' - Franklin Richards 'Forgotten War is a work of passion by one of Australia's greatest living historians, a scholar who has helped to redefine the relationships between white and black Australians âe¦ His measured prose and scholarly authority should be heeded.' - Peter Stanley, Sydney Morning Herald 'Henry Reynolds' Forgotten War calls for the principle of 'lest we forget' to include all Australians who died in defending their country, including Indigenous people. Timely historical analysis of newly collated and discovered evidence shows that the coming of European settlers to Aboriginal territories was firmly defined as a frontier war âe¦ Reynolds makes a compelling and measured case that we should officially honour and acknowledge the tens of thousands of people who died in our frontier wars.' - Judges' Report, The Victorian Premier's Literary Awards

New Edition

‘Australian governments find it easy to go to war. Their leaders seem to be able to withdraw with a calm conscience, answerable neither to God nor humanity.’ Australia lost 600 men in the Boer War, a three-year conflict fought in the heart of Africa that had ostensibly nothing to do with Australia. Coinciding with Federation, the war kickstarted Australia’s commitment to fighting in Britain’s wars overseas, and forged a national identity around it. By 1902, when the Boer War ended, a mythology about our colonial soldiers had already been crafted, and a dangerous precedent established. This is Henry Reynolds at his searing best, as he shows how the Boer War left a dark and dangerous legacy, demonstrating how those beliefs have propelled us into too many unnecessary wars – without ever counting the cost.

Unnecessary Wars

Australia is dotted with memorials to soldiers who fought in wars overseas. Why are there no official memorials or commemorations of the wars that were fought on Australian soil between Aborigines and white colonists? Why is it more controversial to talk about the frontier war now than it was one hundred years ago?Forgotten War continues the story told in Henry Reynolds’ seminal book The Other Side of the Frontier, which argued that the settlement of Australia had a high level of violence and conflict that we chose to ignore. That book prompted a flowering of research and fieldwork that Reynolds draws on here to give a thorough and systematic account of what caused the frontier wars between white colonists and Aborigines, how many people died and whether the colonists themselves saw frontier conflict as a form of warfare. It is particularly timely as we approach the centenary of WWI. This powerful book makes it clear that there can be no reconciliation without acknowledging the wars fought on our own soil.

C.D. Rowley

History of conflict between Tasmanian settlers and Aborigines leading to Black War and Black Line; examples of diplomacy, negotiation and attempts to share land; Robinsons expeditions led to transfers to Wybalenna, Flinders Island; petition against reappointment of commandant in 1846 by Aboriginal exiles demanding their rights.

Fate of a Free People

Aboriginal and immigrant Australians have shared this continent for 200 years. Nineteenth century writers were aware of the importance of the Aboriginal presence, but when the colonists began to write their own history the Aborigines were erased from the account. Recently, this “history” has been overturned as we rediscover the role of Aborigines in our past. In this collection of documents our forebears speak for themselves. They present a fascinating picture of how they endeavored to come to terms—emotionally, morally and intellectually—with the victims of the dispossession. This fascinating collection, compiled by a leading authority on white-Aboriginal relations, challenges the general reader to reinterpret our past. It will prove invaluable to students of history and race relations in schools, colleges and universities. The Australian Experience explores major themes in Australia's history in a lively, accessible manner. Dispossession is the fifth book in the series.

Black Australians and white invaders

Dispossession

'That's how at six at night on 11 May 1928 I stopped being a Yanyuwa child and became a nowhere person... Motherless, cultureless and stuck in a government institution because my mother was Aboriginal and my father was not. I ceased to be an Aboriginal but I would never be white. I was not something bad, shameful, called a half-caste.' - Hilda Jarman Muir In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry - half-castes - were commonly assumed to be morally and physically defective, unstable and degenerate. They bore the brunt of society's contempt, and the remobal of their children created Australia's stolen generations. Nowhere People is a history of beliefs about people of mixed race, bothin Australia and overseas. It explores the concept of racial purity, eugenics, and the threat posed by miscegenation. Award-winning author Henry Reynolds also tells for the first time of his own family's search for the truth about his father's ancestry, and gives a poignant account of the contemporary predicament facing people of mixed heritage.

Nowhere People

What if the sovereignty of the First Nations was recognised by European international law in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries? What if the audacious British annexation of a whole continent was not seen as acceptable at the time and the colonial office in Britain understood that 'peaceful settlement' was a fiction? Henry Reynolds pulls the rug from legal and historical assumptions in a book that's about the present as much as the past. This book shows exactly why our national war memorial must acknowledge the frontier wars, why we must change the date of our national day, and why treaties are important. Most of all, it makes urgently clear that the Uluru Statement is no rhetorical flourish but carries the weight of history and law and gives us a map for the future.

Truth Telling

At last a history of Australia in its dynamic global context. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in response to the mobilisation and mobility of colonial and coloured peoples around the world, self-styled 'white men's countries' in South Africa, North America and Australasia worked in solidarity to exclude those peoples they defined as not-white--including Africans, Chinese, Indians, Japanese and Pacific Islanders. Their policies provoked in turn a long international struggle for racial equality. Through a rich cast of characters that includes Alfred Deakin, WEB Du Bois, Mahatma Gandhi, Lowe Kong Meng, Tokutomi Soho, Jan Smuts and Theodore Roosevelt, leading Australian historians Marilyn Lake and Henry Reynolds tell a gripping story about the circulation of emotions and ideas, books and people in which Australia emerged as a pace-setter in the modern global politics of whiteness. The legacy of the White Australia policy still cases a shadow over relations with the peoples of Africa and Asia, but campaigns for racial equality have created new possibilities for a more just future. Remarkable for the breadth of its research and its engaging narrative, Drawing the Global Colour Line offers a new perspective on the history of human rights and provides compelling and original insight into the international political movements that shaped the twentieth century.

Henry Reynolds

About

Books

Join the club