Cirrus@Austlit

'Living with the Locals comprises the stories of 13 white men, boys and women who were taken in by the Indigenous people of the Torres Strait islands and of eastern Australia and who lived in their communities between the 1790s and the 1870s, from a few months to over 30 years. The white people had been shipwrecked or had escaped the confines of penal servitude and survived only through the Indigenous people’s generosity. Many of them were given Indigenous names—Bunboé, Murrangurk, Duramboi, Waki, Giom, Anco. They assimilated to varying degrees into an Indigenous way of life—several marrying and learning the language—and, for the most part, both parties mourned the white people’s return to European life.

'The stories in Living with the Locals provide a glimpse into Indigenous life at the point of early contact between Indigenous people and British colonists. It was a time when negative attitudes towards Indigenous people gave rise to misinterpretation of events and sensationalised versions of the stories. However, many of the white survivors spoke up against the appalling treatment of the Indigenous people, and advocated for conciliation and land rights. They also were unwilling to reveal Indigenous beliefs and customs to unsympathetic colonists.' (Publication summary)

'This book is the result of a study undertaken through a joint idea expressed by the then Department of Aboriginal Studies and the University of Newcastle in 1999. The directive was to ascertain the clear identity of the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land now occupied by the Callaghan campus of the University of Newcastle. ' (Source: TROVE)

'True Light and Shade is filled with beautiful images by convict artist Joseph Lycett that powerfully capture in intimate detail Aboriginal life, a rare record of Aboriginal people within the vicinity of Newcastle and how they adapted to European settlement before cultural destruction impacted on these groups.

'John Maynard writes an engaging short biography of Lycett and his life in Australia and follows this with a detailed commentary on each of the 20 images in the album. Each image is reproduced in full on a double page spread and then, on the spreads following, details have been enlarged to accompany John's text as he takes us through exactly what is happening in every picture: ceremony, hunting and fishing, carrying food (carving up whalemeat), land management and burning, interactions with Europeans, family life, dances, funeral rituals, and punishment. When you return again to examine the full image, you see it in a completely different light. John also includes written records from the time that corroborate Lycett's views. (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'In this publication to honour Professor Ann Curthoys this article considers the comparative aspects of Native American and Australian Aboriginal political activism in the time period 1900–1930. Central to the study is the importance of revealing the missing chapters of Indigenous political history in both the countries during these important and largely overlooked decades. The approach undertaken is restorative history and privileges the tools of historical narrative (story). The current study places the significance and impact of Indigenous campaigners at the forefront of an awakening awareness of the shared political and racial challenges confronting Indigenous people in the USA and Australia. There were many similar issues confronting both the Indigenous groups. These included the pressures applied on Indigenous land and its resources and the removal of Indigenous children from their families. The article highlights the tactics and voices of Indigenous opposition in fighting courageously for their rights and people.'

Source: Abstract.

John Maynard gives an introductory biographical overview of the late Percy Haslam. Haslam was a noted journalist and scholar of Newcastle who had an overwhelming association with Aboriginal people withing the Newcastle and Hunter Valley regions of New South Wales.

'Aborigines and the Sport of Kings celebrates the significant and exciting Aboriginal involvement in Australian racing history. A remarkable history considering That the Australian Aboriginal peoples first contact with the European animals caused them bewilderment and terror Because Massacres violent and unprovoked vicious attacks were Conducted from horseback. However, within a short period They adapted and shed Their fears. Over time They caught the horses and taught themeselves to ride, using sheets of bark as makeshift saddles. Settler accounts record Aboriginal peoples uncanny affinity with horses; Their excellence in caring for them and in riding. So, moving from the skilled workers who were the backbone of the Australian pastoral industries to racing horses was an obvious step. Amongst the many Aboriginal jockeys highlighted in the book are Merv Maynard, Norm Rose, Frank Reys, Richard Lawrence 'Darby' McCarthy and Leigh-Anne Goodwin, Australia's first female Aboriginal jockey to ride a winner at a metropolitan track. Coming from a proud Aboriginal family and a racing background, John Maynard knows firsthand that there have always been more Aboriginal jockeys than ice USUALLY admitted.' (Source: Bokus website)

The Aboriginal Soccer Tribe is the untold story of Aboriginal involvement with the 'world game' in our nation's sporting history. The acceptance that Aboriginal players found within the post-World War II migrant communities had a profound impact on their lives... Interweaving personal stories and extensive research with links to the broader Indigenous world community, the book is a celebration of the extraordinary journey taken by Aboriginal sportsmen and women to forge the way ahead for the present talented players.

Source: Magabala Books.