PDF (Whole Thesis) - USQ ePrints - University of Southern ...
PDF (Whole Thesis) - USQ ePrints - University of Southern ... PDF (Whole Thesis) - USQ ePrints - University of Southern ...
6.5.2 Discourses of eye-witness accounts. The first hundred years (Palmer & McLeod, 1954/1964) provides two primary source perspectives of the conflicts between Indigenous Australians and the early advancing squatters. However, to the detriment of providing students with a coherent and comprehensive historical narrative, neither of the perspectives is mediated for the students nor explanations provided of the accounts absent. In addition, no endeavour is made to engage the students in higher order thinking. Considering this textbook was written for high school students, including this information is not an unrealistic expectation. The first primary source, titled Men attack aborigines, centres on a massacre committed by the Whyte brothers on their property (see Source 6.21). Source 6.21. “Men attack aborigines” extract from The first hundred years (Palmer and McLeod, 1954/1964, p. 60). Who the person is that wrote this recollection is not named. In this extract, Indigenous Australians are referred to either by name, in the case of “Maggie”, or as a collective, “natives” (Palmer and McLeod, 1954/1964, p. 60). The violence committed by the Whyte brothers on the property Wando Vale is justified as “…the natives of this creek, with some others, made up a plan to rob the new comers, as they had done the Messrs. Henty before. They waited an opportunity, and cut off 50 sheep…” (Palmer and McLeod, 1954/1964, p. 60). The stealing of sheep is used as the impetus to engage in violent conflict with the local Indigenous population and as a result, the Whyte Brothers and those with them killed 51 Indigenous people. This horrific result is not given any justification other than retaliation for stealing sheep, nor is any historical explanation or explicit justification provided for the school students reading the text. Instead, a message is provided (not overtly, and perhaps not 234
intentionally by the authors, but nevertheless it is present), that the mass killing of Indigenous Australians is neither cause for emotion or punishment by the perpetrators. The second primary source narrative takes a significantly different perspective, and is written by an unnamed daughter of a squatter in Queensland. The general message of the extract (see Source 6.22) centres on the dual living arrangements on her father’s property, and the peaceful relations between the local Indigenous Australians and her father as a result of traditional hunting grounds, water sources and camping areas being respected. Source 6.22. Squatter’s daughter’s narrative extract from The first hundred years (Palmer and McLeod, 1954/ 1964, pp. 60-61) What this narrative clearly demonstrates is that knowledge of violence and cruelty committed against Indigenous Australians was well known at the time of it happening, even by those who did not participate in or condone these acts. This is particularly accentuated for the reader in the last three sentences of the narrative (see Source 6.22), which reads: It was not till years after my childhood that I learnt of cruelties to the blacks, and I refused at first to believe it possible. This I know, that there were very many 235
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6.5.2 Discourses <strong>of</strong> eye-witness accounts.<br />
The first hundred years (Palmer & McLeod, 1954/1964) provides two primary source<br />
perspectives <strong>of</strong> the conflicts between Indigenous Australians and the early advancing<br />
squatters. However, to the detriment <strong>of</strong> providing students with a coherent and<br />
comprehensive historical narrative, neither <strong>of</strong> the perspectives is mediated for the students<br />
nor explanations provided <strong>of</strong> the accounts absent. In addition, no endeavour is made to<br />
engage the students in higher order thinking. Considering this textbook was written for high<br />
school students, including this information is not an unrealistic expectation. The first primary<br />
source, titled Men attack aborigines, centres on a massacre committed by the Whyte brothers<br />
on their property (see Source 6.21).<br />
Source 6.21. “Men attack aborigines” extract from The first hundred years (Palmer<br />
and McLeod, 1954/1964, p. 60).<br />
Who the person is that wrote this recollection is not named. In this extract, Indigenous<br />
Australians are referred to either by name, in the case <strong>of</strong> “Maggie”, or as a collective,<br />
“natives” (Palmer and McLeod, 1954/1964, p. 60). The violence committed by the Whyte<br />
brothers on the property Wando Vale is justified as “…the natives <strong>of</strong> this creek, with some<br />
others, made up a plan to rob the new comers, as they had done the Messrs. Henty before.<br />
They waited an opportunity, and cut <strong>of</strong>f 50 sheep…” (Palmer and McLeod, 1954/1964, p.<br />
60). The stealing <strong>of</strong> sheep is used as the impetus to engage in violent conflict with the local<br />
Indigenous population and as a result, the Whyte Brothers and those with them killed 51<br />
Indigenous people. This horrific result is not given any justification other than retaliation for<br />
stealing sheep, nor is any historical explanation or explicit justification provided for the<br />
school students reading the text. Instead, a message is provided (not overtly, and perhaps not<br />
234
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