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understood and lived in harmony with the ‘Timeless Land.’ In their midsts, the poet who
inspired their corroborees and retold their legends held an honoured place” (Connole, 1962,
pp. 213-214). So, whilst other topics present in the textbook may be pitched at a more
academic level, the content of Indigenous topics, pre-colonisation, is included as simplistic
and unchallenged.
Similarly to the Connole text, the first chapter of Australia: colony to nation (Dunlop & Pike,
1963) focuses on Indigenous Australians prior to and immediately after contact with
Europeans. One discourse in particular emerges in this chapter, being the representation of
Indigenous Australians and cultural heritage as “primitive” and “prehistoric” (Dunlop & Pike,
1963, p. 3). The argument made to support this claim compares Indigenous with European
cultures, as seen in Source 6.30. This narrative makes clear that evidence such as artefacts of
Indigenous culture through rock painting, oral histories, and corroborees are neither valued
nor considered valid. It seems labeling Indigenous culture and lifestyle as “prehistoric”
(Dunlop & Pike, 1963, p. 3) is the easiest way to explain a culture that is not understood,
rather than delving deeper into its epistemologies, practices, norms and values.
Source 6.30. “The Days Before History” extract from Australia: colony to nation
(Dunlop & Pike, 1963, p. 3).
Continuing with the representation of Indigenous Australians as primitive is the textbook
Australia’s heritage (Sparkes et al., 1964) which describes the observations of the Captain of
the First Fleet, Arthur Phillip. This includes, in addition to terms to describe Indigenous
Australians such as “natives”, “aboriginals”, “Australian aborigines”, “Australian natives”
and “tribe” (Sparkes et al., 1964, p. 46); the following traits, qualities attributed to this
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