Cirrus@Austlit

'Historical acoustemology allows us to contemplate practices and meanings of non-Indigenous listening in Central Australia and determine how they aligned with processes of settlement. In the 1930s, a new form of listening emerged among remote non-Indigenous women. Modern communities of female transceiver-listeners used radio for two-way communication and networking, and feminist broadcasters quickly picked up the model, undermining pessimistic analyses of early Australian radio and female listeners as passive consumers. But writers integrated transceiver-listening into a narrative of nation that sought to colonise remote Australia with and through white women listeners, and linked transceiver listening to a pervasive metaphor of 'inland silence' that was conceptually deaf to Indigenous presence. Transceiver-listening also usurped forms of communication involving Indigenous people, putting up barriers towards them just as it lowered others. Transceiver-listening had powerful yet complex impacts on modernising remote life, feminist broadcasting, and the settlement of the Australian interior.' (Publication summary)

'"Media Monsters: The Transformation of Australia's Newspaper Empires" by Sally Young is a comprehensive and authoritative book that explores the accumulation and deployment of power by Australia's media barons during the mid-20th century. The book highlights the highly concentrated ownership of media in Australia and its impact on democracy, society, and culture. It serves as an essential resource for scholars of Australian history and politics, providing rich biographical details and vivid portraits of influential figures such as Frank Packer and Rupert Murdoch. The book also includes helpful features such as textboxes and tables to enhance accessibility and understanding. Overall, "Media Monsters" sheds light on the historical context and political influence of Australian newspapers and is recommended for anyone interested in Australian politics and history.' (Introduction)

'"My Grandfather's Clock: Four Centuries of a British–Australian Family" by Graeme Davison is a family history book that explores the rise of family history and public history in Australia. The author, a retired historian, traces his own family history from their migration to Australia in 1912 to his own young adulthood. The book focuses on an ordinary lower middle-class family and their experiences during significant historical events such as two world wars, the Great Depression, and the affluence of the 1950s and 1960s. The author also highlights the importance of Methodism in the lives of his Australian ancestors. Overall, the book provides a detailed and well-researched account of an average Australian family's history.' (Introduction)