The proposed federal interventions in NT indigenous communities, and the responses to them, give me strong feelings of can't we get out of this story?, it is so tired.

The first old story (and much the older) is white politician has brain snap, decides something has to be done and announces this will be done. I may be being unfair, but I get the ( Read more... )

Once upon a time, there was the Protestant Ascendancy. They were-to use Judith Brett’s phrase-the moral middle class of their time. The middle class folk of quality and proper opinions. The education system (particularly the elite private schools and the state system), public broadcasting, “quality” newspapers, the general tenor of public debate ( Read more... )

J Ho’s intervention in indigenous communities has generated predictable responses. The politician who has to deal with the voters (Kevin Rudd) has accepted the action in principle, leaving himself free to criticise details while not being painted into the corner of not caring about child abuse and social collapse in indigenous communities ( Read more... )

Nicolas Rothwell’s new book Another Country is a collection of his writings on Northern (and particularly Aboriginal) Australia.

The book includes photographs by Peter Eve, and some of the people and places mentioned can be seen on Peter Eve’s website. I particularly liked the black and white photograph of Nicolas on the back cover. Nicolas ( Read more... )

Tuesday evening, went along to the launch of Nicolas Rothwell’s new book Another Country, a collection of his writings on Northern (and particularly Aboriginal) Australia. It was quite a gathering-Dame Elisabeth Murdoch was there, for example. ( book launch )