Cirrus@Austlit

'Evonne Goolagong, Cathy Freeman, Nova Peris, Lionel Rose, Artie Beetson, Polly Farmer are just a few of our Australian sporting heroes who, since the mid-1880s, have helped shape Australia's identity as a great sporting nation. They, along with 269 other sporting greats, are showcased here in this third edition of the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame. 

'Spanning thirty six sports across a period of 150 years, Black Pearls presents some of our Olympic heroes, superb sportswomen, football giants, boxing legends, lightning sprinters and more - from darts champions to world class weightlifters and woodchoppers. 

'Black Pearls is, however, more than a sports book. It reveals a history of inclusion and exclusion, about Aboriginal determination in the face of enormous obstacles, and resilience in overcoming remoteness, discriminatory laws, incarceration on isolated reserves, and opponents in a variety of sports arenas.' (Publication summary)

'In 1995, Professor Colin Tatz and a panel of sportspeople and historians selected 129 athletes for the inaugural Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame. Since then, 43 new stars have been inducted. Black Gold features all 172 members, from 30 sports. The chapters showcase our Olympic heroes, superb sportswomen, football giants, boxing legends, lightning sprinters and more — from darts champions to world class weightlifters and woodchoppers.'

'Some of the people in this book are members of the Stolen Generations who were raised in ‘assimilation’ homes but pursued their dreams against all odds. Many grew up in remote, impoverished settlements where ‘sports facilities’ were bumpy dirt tracks, scrubby pitches or dustbowl ovals with sticks for goalposts. Black Gold honours all who have leapt the twin hurdles of racism and competition to realise their talents in the elite arenas of national or international sport.' (Source: AIATSIS website)

'Australians love sport: playing it, watching it, talking it, reading about it. In one area - Aboriginal and Islander sport - we know only a fraction of the real achievements. A few outstanding men and women are household names: Lionel Rose in the ring, Evonne Goolagong-Cawley on the court, Cathy Freeman on the tartan track, Mal Meninga and Polly Farmer on the league and Aussie rules ovals. But there is so much more greatness and triumph out there, much of it buried in history or known to only a handful of fans'.

'Black Diamonds brings it together, for the first time, the 129 Indigenous Australians who comprise the first Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame. Representing 25 sports, from athletics and Aussie rules to tennis and woodchopping , their achievements are part of Australia's sporting history. Their stories are great stories: sometimes tragic, they are all triumphs over adversity.' (Source: Publishers website)