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Source 6.11. “King was saved” extract from Social Studies for Queensland Schools Grade 5
(Department of Education, 1959/1962/ 1966, p. 65)
Who these Indigenous Australians were, or which tribal group they belonged to is not ever
mentioned, demonstrating the relative unimportance placed on the role of Indigenous people
in Australia’s early exploration history. Despite the fact that it was due to the local
Indigenous population that King survived, the discourse of anonymity is strong in this
narrative. Also, this narrative of Burke and Wills’ exploration provides an example of
Indigenous Australians and explorers not interacting violently and is an exception to other
accounts that generally focus on violent conflict between the two groups. Here, unlike in
other examples throughout the textbook (for example, when skirmishes between the explorers
and Indigenous Australians are detailed), the traditional lifestyle of Indigenous people is
legitimized by the struggle for survival of the explorers. What is interesting about this
historical narrative is that although it initially follows a familiar theme of interactions
between explorers and Indigenous Australians, the direction quickly takes a focus different to
others recorded in this textbook, and the local Indigenous population and the explorers do not
become enemies. Instead, the traditional lands and way of life of the Indigenous people are
respected. However, despite this, and despite allowing King to live peacefully with them, the
Indigenous tribe and individuals remain anonymous. So, on the one hand they are legitimized
through being included in the story, but on the other hand they are not legitimized sufficiently
to have their names included, despite each of the explorers and the main rescue party leader
being explicitly named. Furthermore, there is no inclusion of any perspective of the
Indigenous people who allowed King to live with them.
A third example of the discourses of peaceful interactions is based on an exploration. Here,
the experience of Bass and Flinders aboard their small boat, the Tom Thumb is detailed, as a
type of content organiser to lead into a discussion of the Indigenous Australians they
encountered, with interactions occurring after landing ashore as explained in Source 6.12.
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