Historian shares invasion story

FEDERATION University’s Associate Professor of Aboriginal History, Dr Fred Cahir has launched his new book My Country All Gone, The White Men Have Stolen It, about the invasion of Wadawurrung country from 1800 to 1870.

Dr Cahir said it looks at the relationships between the ‘white spirit people,’ or invaders, and the Wadawurrung.

“It’s a history that provides fine brush strokes of a wider changing frontier that was violent in nature but had, surprisingly, some instances of cross-cultural engagement.

“It is as much a shared history, as it is an Aboriginal history. It talks about the Wadawurrung’s attempts to survive the frontier war and to, at the same time, thrive in a new society forced upon them,” Dr Cahir said.

“It’s probably only one of a handful of specific Aboriginal nation invasion histories of its nature in Australia.”

He recognises the topic is a sensitive one for a white historian to address.

“I’m in danger of being seen to be talking on behalf of the Wadawurrung people. The book emphasises the nature of the relationships between the invaders and the Wadawurrung during the invasion,” he said.

“Some of the Wadawurrung community have expressed to me their desire to write their own version from their perspective, which will be great.”

Find My Country All Gone, The White Men Have Stolen It by Dr Fred Cahir at Ballarat Books, or by emailing the author directly at [email protected].