Fate of a free people

by Henry Reynolds

This award-winning and critically acclaimed book from one of Australia’s best known historians challenges the myth about the fate of Tasmania’s Indigenous people, vividly describing the extent of their resistance to colonisation, discussing the terms of the peace agreement under which they called themselves the ‘free Aborigines of Van Diemen’s Land’, and arguing that they weren’t defeated—but betrayed. First published in 1995, Fate of a Free People won the NBC Banjo Award for Non-Fiction. Henry Reynolds is an Honorary Research Professor, Aboriginal Studies Global Cultures & Languages at the University of Tasmania and one of Australia’s best known historians. His books include The Other Side of the Frontier (1981), The Law of the Land (1987), Why Weren’t We Told? (1999) which won the Queensland Premier’s Harry Williams Award for Literary Work Advancing Public Debate, Nowhere People (2005) and, with Marilyn Lake, the multi-award-winning Drawing the Global Colour Line (2008). His most recent work is Unnecessary Wars (2016).

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Australia

257 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Henry 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?

Reviews

[Velvetink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains historical images of Tasmanian Aboriginals and Colonials.

In March 1847, Queen Victoria was presented with a petition signed by eight Aborigines living at Wybalenna settlement on Flinders Island (Tasmania). This is the document at the heart of Henry Reynold's exciting reassessment of black/white conflict in colonial Tasmania.

Even now the black and white fallen of Tasmania's patriotic war are largely unacknowledged. Reynolds challenges us to face our colonial history and accord it the same honour as Australia's conflicts overseas.

[Geoffrey Irvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reexamination of the story of the Black War (roughly 1826-31) occurring in Tasmania between White Settlers and indigenous Tasmanians. Accords the status of Tasmanian Aboriginal groups as defenders of their land, who raised a highly successful guerilla warfare campaign against the white settlers. It re-establishes them as a subject free people rather than child like savages, and accords recogition to the role of diplomatic skills of women such as Trugernanna taking political action to end the war. It places the number of war dead between casualties of the Korean and Vietnam wars, and seeks recognition that these people fought for their land. It addresses the modern state of the reconcilliation process, and it's sorry failure to recognise and address the facts, as opposed to the myths of the European invasion of Australia. Recommended.