M2 - Learner Manual

10.1. ‘Official’ Australian History and the Resistance Wars

‘Official’ Australian history (i.e. history as it was presented prior to truth telling) and the resistance wars is at odds with stories from Indigenous people and Indigenous historians. Australian official history inferring that there was a peaceful settlement and that Indigenous people were treated well or justifying treatment, policies and laws.

More and more we see historians, academics, activists and writers refuting official history versions of Indigenous Australia. These ‘new’ histories are based on researched fact, narratives from Indigenous people themselves and revisiting early accounts with new information.