Author Description

Combining the perspectives of political, social, and cultural history in a coherent narrative, this account is a holistic interpretation of the complex relationship between Indigenous and settler Australians during the middle of the 20th century. As it provides a cogent analysis of how the relationship changed, this record focuses on the quest for Aboriginal inclusion in the Australian nation--a task that dominated the Aboriginal agenda at the time--and challenges existing scholarship and assumptions, particularly around assimilation. Arguing that inclusion was not a function of political lobbying and parliamentary decision making, this is an insightful history of the changing nature of race relations in Australia.