Filling in the gaps and tapping the depths: fighting for Aboriginal rights

Contemporary social commentary is loud and robust when it comes to Aboriginal rights and recognition. There is a growing public clamour for demonstrable political will to address past and present inequities. With this intellectual engagement comes a parallel interest in academic literature that provides an historical perspective on the growth of race awareness in Australia and the implications for the pursuit of both civil and specific indigenous rights for Aborigines. The story of the fight for Aboriginal rights is gradually being fleshed out and filled in as each new book and article is published. As a consequence, our knowledge of the process whereby we slowly arrived at greater respect for and recognition of Aborigines within Australia is increasing. We are now well aware of the major chronological development points in the story, the highs and lows, and the roles of significant people. As each new work appears our knowledge grows and, more importantly, so do the depth and nuance of our understanding of this important chapter in Australian history. In 2015, three new books appeared from Deborah Wilson in Hobart, Richard Broome in Melbourne and Alison Holland in Sydney that help to fill in the gaps and tap the depths around the history of what has now become a substantial movement. The three books under review are all quite different in purpose, approach and style. They reveal the impact of an individual, an organisation and a political persuasion in bringing about change. Most significantly, each book explores a separate piece in the Aboriginal History puzzle, and develops a deeper understanding, not necessarily because they each open up new archives or discuss new topics, although they do that too, but on