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Why weren't we told?: A personal search for the truth about our history
Book by Reynolds, Henry
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Henry Reynolds
58 books52 followersHenry Reynolds is currently an ARC Senior Research Fellow at the University of Tasmania at Launceston. He was for many years at James Cook University in Townsville. He is the author of many well-known books including The Other Side of the Frontier, Law of the Land, Fate of a Free People and Why Weren’t We Told?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
August 24, 2017
Every since I can remember, I couldn't understand why people saw others as different to themselves. As far as I knew, we were all the same in the end.
Henry Reynold's book Why Weren't We Told is about the discovery process that he went through (and I subsequently did too) as to how the older generation in Australia had grown up with different baggage that over the generations we have slowly been able to let go of.
Historian from Tasmania, Henry spent time living in England before returning to Australia to live in Townsville in the 60's (and I believe still does). He was confronted by the racism that was right in front of him and was accepted as ok. He took it on as something he needed to learn more about, to understand. In doing so, he became friends with Eddie Mabo (of the Land Title Case), learnt about injustice towards Aboriginal children and had to rethink his idea of Australia's supposed peaceful and heroic history.
Henry explores the history, the true history of Australia. He doesn't glorify either side, the English or Aboriginal side, he just tries to get to the bottom of a lot of the untold, accepted or hidden stories. The outcome is a sad story of many lost lives, of murder, of trusts and betrayals and of genocide. I found it shocking and moving. It is the history lesson that I was never taught and that should be taught to all Australian's.
Reynold's also highlights how much we as a people of Australia are much better at tolerating, respecting and reconciling than we ever were before. I found it an important point to make and to keep these things in mind so as not to feel weary.
After traveling through Australia in 2010 for 9 months, visiting some communities and meeting many more Indigenous people, I had come home feeling perplexed and angry about the way white Australia treated (mistreated) the traditional owners of our land: the language, the infrastructure, the policies and general patronising. I felt very little hope at that stage for the repair, reconciliation between the general white Australia and the Indigenous community that most people never see or hear.
A good friend of mine could see me struggling with this and recommended that I read this book to help my understanding of the history, Indigenous people and people who still call Indigenous people atrocious names - and think it's ok - the racist people of our country.
After reading Henry Reynolds book, Why Weren't We Told, I can now see we (Australia) is actually with hope and that we have to live with that. Things are going to get better and it starts with each of us taking the time.
Worth a read? You bet!!
x Meg
Henry Reynold's book Why Weren't We Told is about the discovery process that he went through (and I subsequently did too) as to how the older generation in Australia had grown up with different baggage that over the generations we have slowly been able to let go of.
Historian from Tasmania, Henry spent time living in England before returning to Australia to live in Townsville in the 60's (and I believe still does). He was confronted by the racism that was right in front of him and was accepted as ok. He took it on as something he needed to learn more about, to understand. In doing so, he became friends with Eddie Mabo (of the Land Title Case), learnt about injustice towards Aboriginal children and had to rethink his idea of Australia's supposed peaceful and heroic history.
Henry explores the history, the true history of Australia. He doesn't glorify either side, the English or Aboriginal side, he just tries to get to the bottom of a lot of the untold, accepted or hidden stories. The outcome is a sad story of many lost lives, of murder, of trusts and betrayals and of genocide. I found it shocking and moving. It is the history lesson that I was never taught and that should be taught to all Australian's.
Reynold's also highlights how much we as a people of Australia are much better at tolerating, respecting and reconciling than we ever were before. I found it an important point to make and to keep these things in mind so as not to feel weary.
After traveling through Australia in 2010 for 9 months, visiting some communities and meeting many more Indigenous people, I had come home feeling perplexed and angry about the way white Australia treated (mistreated) the traditional owners of our land: the language, the infrastructure, the policies and general patronising. I felt very little hope at that stage for the repair, reconciliation between the general white Australia and the Indigenous community that most people never see or hear.
A good friend of mine could see me struggling with this and recommended that I read this book to help my understanding of the history, Indigenous people and people who still call Indigenous people atrocious names - and think it's ok - the racist people of our country.
After reading Henry Reynolds book, Why Weren't We Told, I can now see we (Australia) is actually with hope and that we have to live with that. Things are going to get better and it starts with each of us taking the time.
Worth a read? You bet!!
x Meg
August 20, 2020
Out the gate, this is the best historical text I’ve read all year. I’m by no means an expert on Australian History, but I considered myself to have a relatively serviceable knowledge base particularly about colonisation. Although the analysis of Australian History Reynolds offers clearly aligns with my ‘revisionist’ perspective, there were elements of this book that I still found shocking. The personal nature of the narrative building here makes these stories real, and this history accessible. Although it’s not the most up to date text, Reynolds ideas about colonisation, race relations, remembering, and shame are still painfully current both in an Australian context and in broader colonial contexts. This is an excellent text which asks some of the big questions of colonial History. I loved it.
March 8, 2014
I couldn't put this memoir down. It is an absorbing personal account of coming to know the reality of Australia's past, and our fraught relationship with its first peoples.
That Henry Reynolds saw himself as a knowledgeable historian, but didn't know the fuller story about 'settlement' and Black-White relations in Australia is really telling. If scholars of Australian history were unaware of the reality of what happened on the frontier, then it is not surprising that those of us less steeped in history were completely ignorant of the depth of our bloody past.
Interestingly, it is accounts by white Australians of more than 160 years ago, and government reports from the early European days of expansion that corroborate this view, not only Indigenous accounts. The evidence was there in the history. It is just that only recently has it surfaced and informed debate.
Every Australian should read this book.
That Henry Reynolds saw himself as a knowledgeable historian, but didn't know the fuller story about 'settlement' and Black-White relations in Australia is really telling. If scholars of Australian history were unaware of the reality of what happened on the frontier, then it is not surprising that those of us less steeped in history were completely ignorant of the depth of our bloody past.
Interestingly, it is accounts by white Australians of more than 160 years ago, and government reports from the early European days of expansion that corroborate this view, not only Indigenous accounts. The evidence was there in the history. It is just that only recently has it surfaced and informed debate.
Every Australian should read this book.
May 27, 2008
This is a fantastic book that documents the often untold history of Australia and the War which brought it under english Sovreignty. Many schools have begun to teach this in their Australian History classes since the release of this book but there are still a few old school private schools that leave this subject matter alone in their curriculum. If your a history enthusiast or just love Australia, then this book will open your eyes to a world previously hidden from the Australian Public and the rest of the world.
February 17, 2016
I am so relieved that this is over, I had to read this for English
November 25, 2024
Despite being written 20+ years ago, I thought this was such a great read. It breaks down so many pervasive myths of the frontier wars and native title.
V good balance of Reynolds' research as an academic and personal experience so it never felt too dense.
The last chapter was a bit disappointing.
V good balance of Reynolds' research as an academic and personal experience so it never felt too dense.
The last chapter was a bit disappointing.
July 9, 2025
4 (a little dated tho I think there’s a new edition out) More memoir than I expected but I found that intriguing as he was so open about how his thinking and understanding grew and changed, so that was very refreshing. So many powerful parts; I particularly liked the explanation and politics around the Wik decision and what happened (and didn’t happen) after Mabo decision. The move from class analysis to more intersectionality. The rereading and evidence of historical documents which led to inescapable conclusions eg p120
“The British decided they would take the land without a treaty, without negotiation, and without any attempt to purchase it.”
The great silences in many Australian history texts with the ‘avoidance of the pervasive violence’ p130
The systemic abuse of women and how much Aboriginal people worked and built outback empires, without pay and recognition.
So so many injustices and cruelties and so so much silence in the narratives and understanding that we white fellas tell of this country. Shame job and worse.
“The British decided they would take the land without a treaty, without negotiation, and without any attempt to purchase it.”
The great silences in many Australian history texts with the ‘avoidance of the pervasive violence’ p130
The systemic abuse of women and how much Aboriginal people worked and built outback empires, without pay and recognition.
So so many injustices and cruelties and so so much silence in the narratives and understanding that we white fellas tell of this country. Shame job and worse.
May 26, 2021
Thought provoking.
July 4, 2015
Super interesting book! I was forced to question my own innate prejudices and read further about the masked darkness of Australia's past.
This memoir doesn't blame the Australian population for neglecting Indigenous rights from the 1920s-1980s. After all, how could they have known when the truth was masked for decades? They weren't told! In fact, the late birth of this text (1999) reflects Reynold's own incidental participation in the Silence of the 20th Century.
Reynolds dismantles the myth of the Australian Settler by examining the frontier violence between British 'pioneers' and Indigenous-Aboriginals. He then explores the subsequent erasure of Indigenous genocide from national canon.
This text is particularly effective as Reynolds explores the erasure through a myriad of social lens - as a white child raised in 40s Tasmania, as a Queensland historian rifling through 60s academia, as a revisionist challenger of white frontier mythos. He also investigates the Australian Government's attitudes which contribute to Indigenous erasure, most keenly the Howard administration.
As Reynolds says, the inaction of one generation will "bequeath" the hatred to the next. Contrary to Ex-PM Howard's opinion, the current generation is not excused from taking responsibility for their ancestor's actions.
Great read! Not sure why fellow readers felt bored by this novel.
This memoir doesn't blame the Australian population for neglecting Indigenous rights from the 1920s-1980s. After all, how could they have known when the truth was masked for decades? They weren't told! In fact, the late birth of this text (1999) reflects Reynold's own incidental participation in the Silence of the 20th Century.
Reynolds dismantles the myth of the Australian Settler by examining the frontier violence between British 'pioneers' and Indigenous-Aboriginals. He then explores the subsequent erasure of Indigenous genocide from national canon.
This text is particularly effective as Reynolds explores the erasure through a myriad of social lens - as a white child raised in 40s Tasmania, as a Queensland historian rifling through 60s academia, as a revisionist challenger of white frontier mythos. He also investigates the Australian Government's attitudes which contribute to Indigenous erasure, most keenly the Howard administration.
As Reynolds says, the inaction of one generation will "bequeath" the hatred to the next. Contrary to Ex-PM Howard's opinion, the current generation is not excused from taking responsibility for their ancestor's actions.
Great read! Not sure why fellow readers felt bored by this novel.
May 9, 2018
An important book for it's time, but nearly twenty years on it has not aged well in certain spots. Aside from the move to innocence umderpinning the thesis of this book, my main gripe is with the apparent ease with which Reynolds speaks for all Aboriginal people. The frequent metaphorical association with Aboriginality and death is another. By that I mean the over use of the 'burial mound,' 'bring their dead with them' spectrality metaphor he consistently uses. No doubt he's an important figure, and this is an important work, in exposing the 'cult of forgetfulness,' but it isn't without it's flaws.
June 4, 2015
Surprisingly somewhat enjoyable, probably due to my desperation to finish it. It clearly filled out my rather '2D' understanding of 'settler history', the notion of the bushman and the indigenous political and social spheres (or lack there of). I anticipate that MOD C will be more fulfilling than MOD B, and this will be an adequate text to analyse and form my own opinions in regards to bias and textual perspective.
March 11, 2021
This is an essential read for any Australian who still holds (what they perceive as) the benign view that Australia's foundation was a case of gritty settlement of an unoccupied land against the odds. Moreover, it challenges the notion that the fate of its Aboriginal occupants (however tragic) is primarily due to their primitivism rather than any specific colonial policy or action.
Why Weren't We Told? is an exciting and accessible history. The book serves as Reynolds' literary memoir of a journey from 'innocence' (believing the comfortable myth of Australia as one of heroic settlement) to understand the true horrors of invasion, dispossession and ongoing racism.
While I thought of myself as being quite across the realities of the Australian story, Reynolds has done a fabulous and thorough job in unpacking and interpreting the trends in historiography and highlight the distinct change in tone in the lead-up to Federation. It turns out that those writing in the nineteenth-century were far less squeamish about the brutal realities of the settlers’ interactions with native peoples.
The critical elements explored in the second and third sections of the book concern understanding the frontier's violence and the intricacies of native title, which has driven both the policy debate and public understanding on achieving something akin to true reconciliation.
The former - tracing the story-telling and public memory of violence - is fascinating and should be of interest to the lay-reader. The latter is an exploration of the legalities of terra nullius and the historical work that led to the High Court decisions in the cases Mabo v Queensland (No 1 and No 2) and Wik Peoples v Queensland.
Some will undoubtedly find the deep-dive into the legal cases' intricacies that led to several historic High Court judgements a little dry. Yet, understanding the logic that led to the dismissal of the legal fiction that Australia was uninhabited upon European arrival is an essential step towards recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' legal right to claim Native Title on their ancestral lands.
While I thought that I had a pretty good grasp of these cases, I realise that I had underestimated the work done by historians, legal scholars, and community leaders. This work exposes the great injustice that saw legal recognition granted to European squatters to occupy vast swathes of the country while at the same time dismiss any sense that Aboriginal peoples had any rights at all on their land. For mine, this was the most engaging and enlightening telling of this story that I'd read thus far.
It is also a reminder to anyone who doesn't already loathe the odious John Howard and the terrible damage that his crooked and amoral Government(s) have done to our country, and the many reasons that they should do so!
It is not hyperbole to say that Reynolds and his lifetime of work represent a revolution in historical understanding of black-white relations in Australia and destroyed the traditional understanding of the process of colonisation and has been critical to much of the progress made.
I highly recommend it!
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Why Weren't We Told? is an exciting and accessible history. The book serves as Reynolds' literary memoir of a journey from 'innocence' (believing the comfortable myth of Australia as one of heroic settlement) to understand the true horrors of invasion, dispossession and ongoing racism.
While I thought of myself as being quite across the realities of the Australian story, Reynolds has done a fabulous and thorough job in unpacking and interpreting the trends in historiography and highlight the distinct change in tone in the lead-up to Federation. It turns out that those writing in the nineteenth-century were far less squeamish about the brutal realities of the settlers’ interactions with native peoples.
The critical elements explored in the second and third sections of the book concern understanding the frontier's violence and the intricacies of native title, which has driven both the policy debate and public understanding on achieving something akin to true reconciliation.
The former - tracing the story-telling and public memory of violence - is fascinating and should be of interest to the lay-reader. The latter is an exploration of the legalities of terra nullius and the historical work that led to the High Court decisions in the cases Mabo v Queensland (No 1 and No 2) and Wik Peoples v Queensland.
Some will undoubtedly find the deep-dive into the legal cases' intricacies that led to several historic High Court judgements a little dry. Yet, understanding the logic that led to the dismissal of the legal fiction that Australia was uninhabited upon European arrival is an essential step towards recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' legal right to claim Native Title on their ancestral lands.
While I thought that I had a pretty good grasp of these cases, I realise that I had underestimated the work done by historians, legal scholars, and community leaders. This work exposes the great injustice that saw legal recognition granted to European squatters to occupy vast swathes of the country while at the same time dismiss any sense that Aboriginal peoples had any rights at all on their land. For mine, this was the most engaging and enlightening telling of this story that I'd read thus far.
It is also a reminder to anyone who doesn't already loathe the odious John Howard and the terrible damage that his crooked and amoral Government(s) have done to our country, and the many reasons that they should do so!
It is not hyperbole to say that Reynolds and his lifetime of work represent a revolution in historical understanding of black-white relations in Australia and destroyed the traditional understanding of the process of colonisation and has been critical to much of the progress made.
I highly recommend it!
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
July 29, 2024
“As a nation we find it very hard to recognise our own distinctive forms of racism.” (p 222)
Henry Reynolds’ revisionist history book “Why weren’t we told?” discusses all aspects of Australian colonial history that have been hidden or written out of history books during the 20th century to essentially make the country look better for white people.
What has happened in Australia is an example of the atrocities and inequities that occur as a result of White supremacy and the believed superiority of the “white race”. I read excerpts from colonial messages and pioneer memoirs which told me things I could not believe. People from the beginning of invasion in Australia thinking ‘hey we should probably be nice to the native people otherwise it’s gonna look bad for us later’. Some pioneers were concerned about eliminating whole tribes and language groups. Back then! So why was nothing done? Why has Australia shrugged off a nationwide guilt by hiding the truth from the history curriculum in school and history books that instead tell of white people building and “settling” the country peacefully? The European invaders new what they were doing and while some had reservations, they still committed atrocities to Aboriginal people thinking it was just their duty as pioneers, and that they were the superior race so they were justified in making the Indigenous people subservient.
Australia, do better.
Henry Reynolds’ revisionist history book “Why weren’t we told?” discusses all aspects of Australian colonial history that have been hidden or written out of history books during the 20th century to essentially make the country look better for white people.
What has happened in Australia is an example of the atrocities and inequities that occur as a result of White supremacy and the believed superiority of the “white race”. I read excerpts from colonial messages and pioneer memoirs which told me things I could not believe. People from the beginning of invasion in Australia thinking ‘hey we should probably be nice to the native people otherwise it’s gonna look bad for us later’. Some pioneers were concerned about eliminating whole tribes and language groups. Back then! So why was nothing done? Why has Australia shrugged off a nationwide guilt by hiding the truth from the history curriculum in school and history books that instead tell of white people building and “settling” the country peacefully? The European invaders new what they were doing and while some had reservations, they still committed atrocities to Aboriginal people thinking it was just their duty as pioneers, and that they were the superior race so they were justified in making the Indigenous people subservient.
Australia, do better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2018
I was generally aware of the levels of frontier violence that occurred during the colonisation of Australia and had read some accounts before, but it's still sickening, and all the more appalling because much of white Australia still refuses to acknowledge that the perpetrators of this genocide shouldn't be celebrated. We may not admit to still believing in Terra Nullius, but it's pretty ingrained in our cultural consciousness. One thing I didn't know was the extent to which native title rights were recognised by the British government in the 19th century. While I find the perspective of the author and his accounts of how as a white man he overcame the structural silence on Indigenous issues interesting, my main conclusion so far from this book is that I need to read more material by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors. It bothered me that despite his insistence on including Indigenous people in Australian history he still largely seemed to assume that history started post-invasion. I'm also reminded of how few Indigenous people I regularly interact with and how much more I could and should be doing to fight racism in Australia.
August 13, 2021
Why Weren't We Told was a powerful and poignant books about Australia's dark history.
For so long, Australia's education system has simply ignored our devestating history, ignored the frontier wars, the treatment of the Aboriginals, the disgusting policies of the stolen generations and more.
This book sets out to at least try and lessen the pain that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People have felt from having their past ignored, and provide information (backed up with plenty of data) regarding many concepts - including the ones I found most interesting, the concept of Terra Nullius and black pioneers.
I highly recommend - especially for older Australians who haven't been taught the truth about our dark history.
For so long, Australia's education system has simply ignored our devestating history, ignored the frontier wars, the treatment of the Aboriginals, the disgusting policies of the stolen generations and more.
This book sets out to at least try and lessen the pain that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People have felt from having their past ignored, and provide information (backed up with plenty of data) regarding many concepts - including the ones I found most interesting, the concept of Terra Nullius and black pioneers.
I highly recommend - especially for older Australians who haven't been taught the truth about our dark history.
June 16, 2017
"[dispossession] ... the view of those who feel they don't belong in Australia, that they are barely tolerated guests or that they will always be so alienated from the land that they can't even contemplate being buried in Australian soil. [...] But I cannot remember a time when I did not feel at home [...] It has little to do with the will or the intellect. You either feel you belong or you don't. And once that sense is there it can't be given up, willed away or reasoned out of existence.
[...] history is often distressing, but it does enable us to know and understand the incubus which burdens us all."
[...] history is often distressing, but it does enable us to know and understand the incubus which burdens us all."
October 20, 2023
I read this some time ago, possibly twenty years, and intend to read it again soon. I ended up reading just about every book by the author, having discovered his work around 2001. He is a brilliant historian and storyteller. The stories he tells are not all of darkness and sadness. In much of what he writes he expresses hope and optimism. But among those writers and researchers who lifted the veil of secrecy and deception in Australian history he is perhaps in my view the leader. We were taught lies, and largely thanks to Professor Reynolds, I know that now and can act on in whatever way is possible.
May 19, 2019
Brilliant. I’ve read a number of Reynolds’ books and I’ve been impressed with each. This was however, something special. The memoir narrative is expertly interwoven with a detailed and precise historical account of indigenous history that has been ignored until recent times. Well done Professor Reynolds!
June 28, 2018
I really enjoyed this book! I'm not an Australian so a lot of the history is lost on me, but it's a great basic introduction to the state of Aboriginal erasure in Australian history. I'm looking forward to reading his other books.
March 4, 2019
It was very useful to be reminded of my previous reading on the topic of the massacres and other terrible treatment of Aboriginal people, and in this book together with Reynolds' account of his own personal journey in researching these histories.
September 29, 2017
I chose this as my first foray into Henry Reynolds writings, and i'm glad i did so. It has confirmed in my mind the importance of his work and given fresh impetus to read everything he has written.
June 29, 2019
A great insight into being Aboriginal in Australia during 1960 and 1970s
June 20, 2020
An eye opener. I bought this book in Australia 1999 on my first return visit after 30 years. So much to understand and learn about my old country.
December 1, 2021
A good book to read what happened to Aboriginals in Australia
February 14, 2022
Thought provoking, brilliantly reasoned.
February 28, 2022
The history of First nation history - why it's omitted from textbooks, our conversations, and our consciousness.
March 28, 2022
Fascinating history of Australia - I learned a great deal.
December 11, 2022
This is a must read for all Australians
September 11, 2023
Dated but still so much we can learn from it.
January 7, 2024
This should be mandatory reading in all Australian schools.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews