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Major shifts in the history/culture wars are depicted in Figure A1.2: Timeline of major shifts
in the history/culture wars 1993-2008. Criteria for the identification and selection of these
major shifts are:
1. When a new point or perspective entered the public domain; and
2. When this point received widespread response; including
3. Key people who have consistently been part of the ongoing debate.
4. Major political events that are seen to contribute to the continuation, proliferation or
end of the history/culture wars; and/or
5. School contexts (including those related to curriculum) seen to be impacted by
debates.
Figure A1.1: History Wars Keating Manning Clark Blainey.
Leading up to the Black Armband speech, where Blainey called for a “swing of the
pendulum” (Blainey, 2005, p. 32), national history had already entered public imagination
with discussion influenced by, amongst many other things, the following issues: Australia’s
1988 bicentennial celebrations; Paul Keating’s 1993 Redfern address; and Manning Clark’s
publications on Australian history in the decade leading up to the 1988 bicentennial. So,
although Blainey’s speech provides a starting point for the history/culture wars, it can be seen
within a larger socio-political national context, the three significant issues mentioned
(although not necessarily directly influencing this speech) form part of the larger discourse
that this speech influenced and ignited the history/culture wars. Between the major shifts of
the history/culture wars, debate momentum was sustained in the main from continued media,
political and general public interest. Representing the two sides of the debate were Manning
Clark and Paul Keating on the politically left or ‘Black armband’ side and John Howard and
Geoffrey Blainey on the politically right or ‘Three cheers’ side, depicted by well-known
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