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The Visitors
On a sweltering day, 26 January, 1788, on a bluff high above Sydney Cove, seven Aboriginal men stand looking out to sea. Moored off-shore is a huge nowee (boat) … then there are two, then more. Who are these visitors? Where are they from? What do they want? Should they be turned away—by force—or welcomed to country?
In The Visitors, Muruwari playwright Jane Harrison (Stolen, Rainbow’s End) reimagines the arrival of the First Fleet from a First Nations’ perspective. These senior men, carrying the weight of cultural responsibility in their very human hearts, must decide what action they’ll take toward these unwanted arrivals. A decision, under pressure, that will have repercussions—unforeseeably and forever. Told with wit, charm, and a fierce intelligence, Harrison’s story upends the dominant point of view of this pivotal event.
Annotated and with an introduction by Wesley Enoch.
In The Visitors, Muruwari playwright Jane Harrison (Stolen, Rainbow’s End) reimagines the arrival of the First Fleet from a First Nations’ perspective. These senior men, carrying the weight of cultural responsibility in their very human hearts, must decide what action they’ll take toward these unwanted arrivals. A decision, under pressure, that will have repercussions—unforeseeably and forever. Told with wit, charm, and a fierce intelligence, Harrison’s story upends the dominant point of view of this pivotal event.
Annotated and with an introduction by Wesley Enoch.
80 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2021
50 people are currently reading
907 people want to read
About the author
Jane Harrison
19 books32 followersJane Harrison is descended from the Muruwari people and is an award-winning playwright, author and Festival director. Jane directed the Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival in 2016 and 2019.
Her first play Stolen played across Australia and internationally for seven years. Rainbow’s End was produced in 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2019 and won the 2012 Drover Award. Her novel Becoming Kirrali Lewis won the 2014 Black & Write! Prize, and was shortlisted for the Prime Minster’s Literary Awards and the Victorian Premier’s Awards.
Her latest play The Visitors premiered at Sydney Festival in 2020 and will be adapted into a novel, to be released by Harper Collins in 2023.
Jane believes in the power of stories in strengthening cultural connection.
Her first play Stolen played across Australia and internationally for seven years. Rainbow’s End was produced in 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2019 and won the 2012 Drover Award. Her novel Becoming Kirrali Lewis won the 2014 Black & Write! Prize, and was shortlisted for the Prime Minster’s Literary Awards and the Victorian Premier’s Awards.
Her latest play The Visitors premiered at Sydney Festival in 2020 and will be adapted into a novel, to be released by Harper Collins in 2023.
Jane believes in the power of stories in strengthening cultural connection.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
September 1, 2023
If you’ve reached the grand old age of 50 and been educated in Australia, like me, chances are you had very little insight into Aboriginal history and culture during your school years. And if you did, it was likely from a European perspective. I might be generalising, I’m sure there are some amongst you who will have a different story to tell. But while I don’t wish to get too political in a book review, geez this is an important story, particularly for non-indigenous readers, to hear the events of January 26, 1788 told from a different perspective.
The premise is simple but beautiful and effective. It follows a group of seven Aboriginal elders who gather in Warrane, overlooking Sydney Cove as they see the first of what will ultimately be 11 ships sail into the Harbour on that day in 1788. As the humid heat bears down on them, the elders have one important decision to make - should they repel the visitors to their shores or welcome them? Needing to reach a unanimous consensus, the elders argue their opinions for most of the day until they reach their fateful decision.
This book is a fictional reimagining of that day in history, but what the author does so beautifully is paint a before and after picture of the immediate effects of colonisation on the country and it’s First People. It was also fascinating to learn about Aboriginal society; marriage and coming-of-age rites, how women were treated and respected and the abiding love and understanding for nature.
I’m so glad I took the time yesterday to go to the headland above Farm Cove to read this book, to immerse myself in the area near where this story was set.
Please read this book, at less than 300 pages, it’s an easy, weekend read, but the message will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
The premise is simple but beautiful and effective. It follows a group of seven Aboriginal elders who gather in Warrane, overlooking Sydney Cove as they see the first of what will ultimately be 11 ships sail into the Harbour on that day in 1788. As the humid heat bears down on them, the elders have one important decision to make - should they repel the visitors to their shores or welcome them? Needing to reach a unanimous consensus, the elders argue their opinions for most of the day until they reach their fateful decision.
This book is a fictional reimagining of that day in history, but what the author does so beautifully is paint a before and after picture of the immediate effects of colonisation on the country and it’s First People. It was also fascinating to learn about Aboriginal society; marriage and coming-of-age rites, how women were treated and respected and the abiding love and understanding for nature.
I’m so glad I took the time yesterday to go to the headland above Farm Cove to read this book, to immerse myself in the area near where this story was set.
Please read this book, at less than 300 pages, it’s an easy, weekend read, but the message will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
September 17, 2023
The Visitors is a particularly thought-provoking read with the forthcoming Referendum in Australia, and I doubt the timing of its release is an accident. I highly recommend it to all Australian readers – and all international readers who want to know more about our history, come to that.
My full review of The Visitors is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of The Visitors is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
October 19, 2023
Hits different after the referendum
September 8, 2023
“Let's get back to the simple task at hand. We need to decide whether we let them land today or not.”
The Visitors by Jane Harrison is based on her successful play of the same name - therefore it is written with a play-like structure in parts. Inspired by the film, ‘ 12 Angry Men’, Jane has certainly done her research into one of the most impactful and ultimately painful days in Australian history. In just under 300 words, Jane successfully imagines what could have been senior leaders from the local tribes watching and arguing over the arrival of the First Fleet into Botany Bay in 1788. This is a reimagining of first encounters from an Indigenous perspective and it is truly something every Australian should be reading.
‘Is he being too optimistic about their intentions? Can he imagine a scenario in which they do not leave, for example? In which they take over land, water and sky? What if Gordon is right about these visitors? Could he be?’
‘Visitors’ had come and gone eighteen summers before (eg. Captain Cook) but that was just the point, they visited and then left. Would these visitors likewise be leaving? The story involves a lot of discussion about whether to engage in war or allow the visitors to come ashore.
Joseph holds up his hand. So are we definitely fighting? We can't
just ignore them and wait for them to go away? Joseph is hopeful.
He isn't designed for warfare, only its aftermath, healing.
Gary. We tried that last time. Now they're back.
Joseph. If they've come and left before, won't they leave again?
Albert. Yes, but do we want them trampling all over country like
last time?
Gordon. No. We don't want them doing that.
Nathaniel. No way.
There's nodding around the circle.
Albert. So let's vote.
After lengthy debates the men notice that the visitors are landing and they make their fateful decision. We all know where it goes from there but there is something incredibly real about getting to know these tribal elders (and Lawrence) and witnessing how events play out for them all.
This book certainly packs a punch for its less than 300 pages. Not only about the crucial decisions made on that day but also the witty dialogue between the men and the insight into Indigenous living and tribal protocols. I will admit to being somewhat confused by the use of Anglo-Saxon names and the reason behind their being dressed in suits and ties (I did research that it symbolised their status in contemporary terms) but wish that had been addressed somewhere in the book. All things considered, I feel this is an important book for especially non-indigenous people to read and learn from. Enlightening, humourous, somber and very, very real.
“Do you really think that, just because they came ashore, we might fade into
nothingness like smoke into the sky?”
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
The Visitors by Jane Harrison is based on her successful play of the same name - therefore it is written with a play-like structure in parts. Inspired by the film, ‘ 12 Angry Men’, Jane has certainly done her research into one of the most impactful and ultimately painful days in Australian history. In just under 300 words, Jane successfully imagines what could have been senior leaders from the local tribes watching and arguing over the arrival of the First Fleet into Botany Bay in 1788. This is a reimagining of first encounters from an Indigenous perspective and it is truly something every Australian should be reading.
‘Is he being too optimistic about their intentions? Can he imagine a scenario in which they do not leave, for example? In which they take over land, water and sky? What if Gordon is right about these visitors? Could he be?’
‘Visitors’ had come and gone eighteen summers before (eg. Captain Cook) but that was just the point, they visited and then left. Would these visitors likewise be leaving? The story involves a lot of discussion about whether to engage in war or allow the visitors to come ashore.
Joseph holds up his hand. So are we definitely fighting? We can't
just ignore them and wait for them to go away? Joseph is hopeful.
He isn't designed for warfare, only its aftermath, healing.
Gary. We tried that last time. Now they're back.
Joseph. If they've come and left before, won't they leave again?
Albert. Yes, but do we want them trampling all over country like
last time?
Gordon. No. We don't want them doing that.
Nathaniel. No way.
There's nodding around the circle.
Albert. So let's vote.
After lengthy debates the men notice that the visitors are landing and they make their fateful decision. We all know where it goes from there but there is something incredibly real about getting to know these tribal elders (and Lawrence) and witnessing how events play out for them all.
This book certainly packs a punch for its less than 300 pages. Not only about the crucial decisions made on that day but also the witty dialogue between the men and the insight into Indigenous living and tribal protocols. I will admit to being somewhat confused by the use of Anglo-Saxon names and the reason behind their being dressed in suits and ties (I did research that it symbolised their status in contemporary terms) but wish that had been addressed somewhere in the book. All things considered, I feel this is an important book for especially non-indigenous people to read and learn from. Enlightening, humourous, somber and very, very real.
“Do you really think that, just because they came ashore, we might fade into
nothingness like smoke into the sky?”
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
September 22, 2023
This was the latest book sent to me by my online book club, WellRead. I hadn’t heard of Jane Harrison before but I love discovering new authors and it’s one of the reasons I’m a member of WellRead. I started this book with an open mind and with no real expectations.
‘Visitors’ takes place all in one day in January 1788. We are with seven Aboriginal leaders and elders, the First Peoples of Australia, as the first British settlers arrive on their ships. The elders meet to discuss these newcomers and how best to approach them. Do they welcome them to their land and teach them their customs or do they fight them off and start a war?
There is no doubt that this book offers a new perspective on a pivotal moment in Australian history and it is told to us with wit, charm, imagination and intelligence. I found myself immersed in the huge decision that the elders had before them and I really enjoyed getting to know them and their culture. I am British and I live in Australia, so I feel a responsibility for what my people did before me and how the First Peoples of Australia have been treated and continue to be treated. This book does not make light of this day but it is told with some humour, the elders are funny and I enjoyed their banter. This wasn’t an easy book to read, knowing what we know about how it turned out, but Harrison is sensitive without sugar-coating anything.
I didn’t find this a gripping read but it did draw me in and I enjoyed the characters and learning about their customs and decision making process. This is a book that all Australians should probably read and I would be interested in seeing the play also.
‘Visitors’ takes place all in one day in January 1788. We are with seven Aboriginal leaders and elders, the First Peoples of Australia, as the first British settlers arrive on their ships. The elders meet to discuss these newcomers and how best to approach them. Do they welcome them to their land and teach them their customs or do they fight them off and start a war?
There is no doubt that this book offers a new perspective on a pivotal moment in Australian history and it is told to us with wit, charm, imagination and intelligence. I found myself immersed in the huge decision that the elders had before them and I really enjoyed getting to know them and their culture. I am British and I live in Australia, so I feel a responsibility for what my people did before me and how the First Peoples of Australia have been treated and continue to be treated. This book does not make light of this day but it is told with some humour, the elders are funny and I enjoyed their banter. This wasn’t an easy book to read, knowing what we know about how it turned out, but Harrison is sensitive without sugar-coating anything.
I didn’t find this a gripping read but it did draw me in and I enjoyed the characters and learning about their customs and decision making process. This is a book that all Australians should probably read and I would be interested in seeing the play also.
November 12, 2023
The novel is an imaginative and thought-provoking exploration of the encounter between the indigenous Eora people and the British colonisers at the time of the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove in 1788. Through the eyes of seven Eora elders (although one elder is considerably younger than the others), the novel delves into the cultural clashes, misunderstandings, and anxieties that arose during this pivotal moment in Australian history.
While initially jarring, we may see Harrison's decision to use Western names and dress for the Eora elders as a deliberate stylistic choice to challenge the reader's assumptions and expectations. By presenting these characters as individuals with familiar names, Harrison forces the reader to confront the reality that these were fully realised people with unique identities rather than mere stereotypes or distant historical figures.
Moreover, there is much sensitivity and insight in the novel's exploration of cultural differences. The Eora elders grapple with the arrival of strange and unfamiliar visitors, trying to understand their motives and intentions. The book highlights the Eora people's deep connection to their land and reverence for the natural world, starkly contrasting the invaders' exploitative and destructive approach.
The Visitors offers a glimpse into the devastating impact of colonisation on the Eora people and their culture. The brief postscript depicts a hint of the violence, displacement and loss that followed the arrival of the British, offering a stark reminder of the dark reality of Australian history through a contemplative and reflective reading experience.
★ ★ ★ ★
While initially jarring, we may see Harrison's decision to use Western names and dress for the Eora elders as a deliberate stylistic choice to challenge the reader's assumptions and expectations. By presenting these characters as individuals with familiar names, Harrison forces the reader to confront the reality that these were fully realised people with unique identities rather than mere stereotypes or distant historical figures.
Moreover, there is much sensitivity and insight in the novel's exploration of cultural differences. The Eora elders grapple with the arrival of strange and unfamiliar visitors, trying to understand their motives and intentions. The book highlights the Eora people's deep connection to their land and reverence for the natural world, starkly contrasting the invaders' exploitative and destructive approach.
The Visitors offers a glimpse into the devastating impact of colonisation on the Eora people and their culture. The brief postscript depicts a hint of the violence, displacement and loss that followed the arrival of the British, offering a stark reminder of the dark reality of Australian history through a contemplative and reflective reading experience.
★ ★ ★ ★
December 26, 2023
Sometimes it seems that a work written first as a play really struggles to transcend its stage origins. This is the case with Jane Harrison's The Visitors which imagines the response of local tribes to the arrival of the First Fleet in January 1788. The author, herself of Muruwari descent, ventures where non-Indigenous authors might hesitate to tread and Tony Birch's blurb embraces it as "a remarkable achievement of First Nations storytelling".
I think that I would have preferred to see this on the stage, rather than on the page. Apparently the author did a lot of research in converting it to a novel, and the research feels very didactic at times and clags up the narrative. It's an interesting concept of decentering the First Fleet story and while playing with timespans through clothings and names, it foregrounds the social complexity and agency of the watchers on the shore. I just wish that the author didn't feel that she had to 'educate' me.
For my complete review, please visit:
https://residentjudge.com/2023/12/26/...
I think that I would have preferred to see this on the stage, rather than on the page. Apparently the author did a lot of research in converting it to a novel, and the research feels very didactic at times and clags up the narrative. It's an interesting concept of decentering the First Fleet story and while playing with timespans through clothings and names, it foregrounds the social complexity and agency of the watchers on the shore. I just wish that the author didn't feel that she had to 'educate' me.
For my complete review, please visit:
https://residentjudge.com/2023/12/26/...
October 26, 2023
Surprisingly humourous reimagining of British colonisation of Sydney harbour, from the indigenous Aboriginal people's perspective.
September 4, 2023
So wooden. Couldn't get past the writing, which is a shame, as the premise is interesting.
September 13, 2023
Feels like the right time to read a First Nations story by a First Nations author.
January 28, 2024
An interesting take on the decisions of Elders during the beginnings of invasion, which I timely finished on the weekend of Invasion Day. I enjoyed following their logic which demonstrated their individual reasoning for the ultimate decision - to let them land, or repel. The story style reminded me of 12 Angry Men.
September 22, 2024
I listened to this after I saw the play. It should be taught in schools in Australia, England and other colonies. This book is devastating and incredible.
Watch the play if you get an opportunity.
Watch the play if you get an opportunity.
November 30, 2023
Jane Harrison's book (formerly a play), is set on a hot day in 1788 as tribal leaders from local Aboriginal tribes gather together to discuss the arrival of a number of ships in Port Botany. Are they friends or enemies? Should they respond with warmth or hostility?
What Harrison does particularly well is to use modern Western language to describe the clothing, actions and thoughts of the Aboriginal elders. In doing so, Jane points to the prejudices that are so easily carried into our perceptions of the First Nations people.
Do we allow ourselves to consider how weak, and childish Westerners may have looked like to a people who lived with the rhythms of Aussie environment and the complexities of their tribal system!? Do that (and by extension, do we) really appreciate just how much our modern utilitarian attitude to our environment stands in contrast to the many peoples who acted of loving stewards of the land on which they lived?
I found the book enlightening for the above reason. My only challenge would be that this book maybe pushes too far in the other direction. It can be easy to paint pre-colonisation Australia as an Edenic wonderland & not acknowledge the tensions that are a reflection of universal human nature, beyond our individual national habits.
Either way, a thoroughly enjoyable read that gave me lots to think about!
What Harrison does particularly well is to use modern Western language to describe the clothing, actions and thoughts of the Aboriginal elders. In doing so, Jane points to the prejudices that are so easily carried into our perceptions of the First Nations people.
Do we allow ourselves to consider how weak, and childish Westerners may have looked like to a people who lived with the rhythms of Aussie environment and the complexities of their tribal system!? Do that (and by extension, do we) really appreciate just how much our modern utilitarian attitude to our environment stands in contrast to the many peoples who acted of loving stewards of the land on which they lived?
I found the book enlightening for the above reason. My only challenge would be that this book maybe pushes too far in the other direction. It can be easy to paint pre-colonisation Australia as an Edenic wonderland & not acknowledge the tensions that are a reflection of universal human nature, beyond our individual national habits.
Either way, a thoroughly enjoyable read that gave me lots to think about!
November 19, 2023
This book is the November book for my online book club. I didn't enjoy it and normally would have given up by page 50.
It's meant to be a re-imagined telling of the first fleet arriving at Sydney Cove told from the First Nation's perspective. There were so many things that felt wrong with it - from the Elders wearing suits to the language spoken. Unfortunately, it's not a book I would recommend.
It's meant to be a re-imagined telling of the first fleet arriving at Sydney Cove told from the First Nation's perspective. There were so many things that felt wrong with it - from the Elders wearing suits to the language spoken. Unfortunately, it's not a book I would recommend.
March 11, 2024
Such an interesting book. It is 1788, and the indigenous men of several clans around Sydney Harbour see 'nowie' approaching.....big nowie. And there are living memories of what happened last time nowie arrived, and they are not good. The call goes out to the elders to gather, and discuss what they should do this time. Should they welcome these visitors as their culture demands; or drive them away, as some want, given what happened last time. The politics between the elders of various clans; the personalities as they try and position themselves to win the arguments; the cultural dimensions of young men joining the discussion; coming to consensus; changing opinions; whose land it is and therefore who should lead the meeting and have the final say; the burden of being an elder; the men's views about their wives - who respects their wife's thoughts, who wants to go home to their new wife. It was so fascinating. A well written, thoughtful story that made me realise even more the indigenous people were not passive bystanders. I couldnt grasp the trope ofthem wearing modern clothes, suits, but reading reviews, this is of course a reminder that the issues are as current today (refugees, migrants as well) as then. Highly recommended.
January 28, 2025
I can see how this evolved from a play. Once I accustomed to the writing style, I found it flowed well.
Really made me think about Invasion Day and what First Nations Peoples made of it all happening. This book was an insight into how mobs may have got together to discuss their options.
I appreciated the insight into culture and Country. There are so many traditions and the long history and connection to land discussed as the men gathered to observe the landing.
If only the settlers had been peaceful and appreciative of the knowledge of these people. How different would Australia be now if the Colonials had wanted to integrate and not invade?
Thought provoking and angering.
Really made me think about Invasion Day and what First Nations Peoples made of it all happening. This book was an insight into how mobs may have got together to discuss their options.
I appreciated the insight into culture and Country. There are so many traditions and the long history and connection to land discussed as the men gathered to observe the landing.
If only the settlers had been peaceful and appreciative of the knowledge of these people. How different would Australia be now if the Colonials had wanted to integrate and not invade?
Thought provoking and angering.
February 26, 2024
Let’s just say this should be mandatory reading! Brilliant, raw, the truth told with humour and humility. The world needs more books like this.
September 2, 2024
Well worth the read, a very interesting and humorous account of what 'might have' happened on the landing day in January 1978.
February 16, 2025
Wow! So much in this book, such a clever narrative. I want everyone to read it!!
April 21, 2024
Very 12 angry men, play-like, perhaps better as a play, but an important contribution nonetheless. Engaging and insightful.
October 23, 2023
An absolute joy to read - brilliant new angle on the arrival of the first fleet; refreshing writing style (using modern language gives it spark). Probably not one for readers who are looking for authentic historical fiction. Great development of the 7 first nations leaders meeting. Each character had their own authentic feel. Loved it.
January 11, 2024
The visitors by Jane Harrison is a reimagining of the arrival of the first fleet from a First Nations perspective.
The novel is shaped around this brilliant premise, but grows to be so much more, due to the depth of characterisation, the lyrical descriptions of Country and the insight into Indigenous interrelationship with the land.
Originally conceived as a play, the dialogue is written as so: with the character’s name appearing before the dialogue. It took me a chapter or so to adjust to this structure, but once I did the reading experience just flowed.
This is an immersive and quick read, the dialogue is sharp, witty and humorous. The subject matter is heavy but brims with quintessential First Nations humour and heart.
So much has been written/documented (and taught 🤦♀️) about this ‘arrival’ from a white colonial perspective, so it was a clever POV to subvert this to deconstruct the dominant narrative.
Don’t expect a homogenous group of characters here either! Each character pulses with their own humanity, motivations, philosophies and personal histories.
The sustainable mindset that’s synonymous with Indigenous culture is beautifully captured. You leave one egg in the nest for something to grow, to regenerate. You strip a tree of bark but know to leave enough for it to survive.
But the settlers, they cut down all the trees, they don’t leave any eggs in the nest. It’s a mindset of domination over interrelation. A working against country, not with it.
Some of the character’s open-hearted discussions around welcoming ‘the visitors’ stings in the aftermath of a shameful referendum 200-odd years later. I was heart-breakingly reminded of how much has been lost, devastated, steamrolled over.
But also how much has survived due to the work that Indigenous writers/artists/educators are doing to keep the world’s oldest continuous culture alive. That’s why I’m committed to reading more First Nations authors in 2024. It’s the bare minimum I can do as a white Australian to reeducate!
4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The novel is shaped around this brilliant premise, but grows to be so much more, due to the depth of characterisation, the lyrical descriptions of Country and the insight into Indigenous interrelationship with the land.
Originally conceived as a play, the dialogue is written as so: with the character’s name appearing before the dialogue. It took me a chapter or so to adjust to this structure, but once I did the reading experience just flowed.
This is an immersive and quick read, the dialogue is sharp, witty and humorous. The subject matter is heavy but brims with quintessential First Nations humour and heart.
So much has been written/documented (and taught 🤦♀️) about this ‘arrival’ from a white colonial perspective, so it was a clever POV to subvert this to deconstruct the dominant narrative.
Don’t expect a homogenous group of characters here either! Each character pulses with their own humanity, motivations, philosophies and personal histories.
The sustainable mindset that’s synonymous with Indigenous culture is beautifully captured. You leave one egg in the nest for something to grow, to regenerate. You strip a tree of bark but know to leave enough for it to survive.
But the settlers, they cut down all the trees, they don’t leave any eggs in the nest. It’s a mindset of domination over interrelation. A working against country, not with it.
Some of the character’s open-hearted discussions around welcoming ‘the visitors’ stings in the aftermath of a shameful referendum 200-odd years later. I was heart-breakingly reminded of how much has been lost, devastated, steamrolled over.
But also how much has survived due to the work that Indigenous writers/artists/educators are doing to keep the world’s oldest continuous culture alive. That’s why I’m committed to reading more First Nations authors in 2024. It’s the bare minimum I can do as a white Australian to reeducate!
4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 13, 2024
Written in the style of 12 angry men, it charts the arrival of the first fleet from the perspective of 7 Aboriginal elders who are voting on whether to welcome or shoo away these strange visitors. All the while, one of them is slowly dying from what he doesn’t yet realise (but we do and it kills us) is the common cold.
I grew up learning about Indigenous Australians as “noble savages” with a silly little religion, and first contacts as a peaceful handover of land. I did dot paintings in art class and I read “the rainbow serpent” every year and my school had taught history with an “Aboriginal perspective”. We participated in these empty, repetitive lessons annually, and by the time I got to high school I was sick of learning about Indigenous Australians.
I WISH I had been given access to books like Dark Emu, We Come with this Place and The Visitors because their history is rich and their knowledge is deep and when the British came, so much of it was lost forever. First Nations Peoples have been treated so, so badly on an institutional level since Captain Arthur Phillip first set foot on this land. I LOVE it here, but I wish Australia had never been discovered.
Reading this book in the wake of the referendum hits extra hard.
I grew up learning about Indigenous Australians as “noble savages” with a silly little religion, and first contacts as a peaceful handover of land. I did dot paintings in art class and I read “the rainbow serpent” every year and my school had taught history with an “Aboriginal perspective”. We participated in these empty, repetitive lessons annually, and by the time I got to high school I was sick of learning about Indigenous Australians.
I WISH I had been given access to books like Dark Emu, We Come with this Place and The Visitors because their history is rich and their knowledge is deep and when the British came, so much of it was lost forever. First Nations Peoples have been treated so, so badly on an institutional level since Captain Arthur Phillip first set foot on this land. I LOVE it here, but I wish Australia had never been discovered.
Reading this book in the wake of the referendum hits extra hard.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2023
Whilst I ultimately enjoyed this novel and do recommend it, it was an interesting journey and I came very close to not finishing it on more than one occasion.
It started strongly and had me very interested and intrigued. Through the middle it frustrated me and I disliked its light hearted approach and the attempts at humour. The last third of the novel was powerful and highly thought provoking. That is where it redeemed itself.
I can’t help but think that if this novel was not written by a First Nations author it would have been widely criticised. I understand that the approach taken was very deliberate and that there was an underlying objective, but for me personally I would have preferred to see the subject matter treated far more seriously throughout the ‘entire’ novel rather than just in certain parts.
It started strongly and had me very interested and intrigued. Through the middle it frustrated me and I disliked its light hearted approach and the attempts at humour. The last third of the novel was powerful and highly thought provoking. That is where it redeemed itself.
I can’t help but think that if this novel was not written by a First Nations author it would have been widely criticised. I understand that the approach taken was very deliberate and that there was an underlying objective, but for me personally I would have preferred to see the subject matter treated far more seriously throughout the ‘entire’ novel rather than just in certain parts.
January 7, 2025
The Visitors.
DNF
Found the writing stilted and chapters drawn out. Could not get past the English names of the characters, wearing trousers and tie, the term ‘dude’……. I wondered if it was comedy, though the references to cultural law and kinship would be undermined.
The premise of the narrative is wonderful and maybe my expectations jilted this reading experience.
I’ll give it another go another time.
DNF
Found the writing stilted and chapters drawn out. Could not get past the English names of the characters, wearing trousers and tie, the term ‘dude’……. I wondered if it was comedy, though the references to cultural law and kinship would be undermined.
The premise of the narrative is wonderful and maybe my expectations jilted this reading experience.
I’ll give it another go another time.
December 8, 2024
Might have been good as a 90 minute play but the dialogue gets silly in a 7hr 30 minute audiobook. The tragic invasion of Australia is not a suitable topic for flippant Californian dead-head chit-chat.
I almost gave up about halfway but it improved towards the end.
I almost gave up about halfway but it improved towards the end.
November 16, 2023
Did not finish this book!
Didn’t like it at all!
Read to halfway and had to concede defeat!
Didn’t find it funny and was so historically inaccurate it did my head in!
Didn’t like it at all!
Read to halfway and had to concede defeat!
Didn’t find it funny and was so historically inaccurate it did my head in!
January 15, 2024
Interesting concept, but poorly executed. A greater focus on accuracy would have made it more enjoyable
April 18, 2024
What would the arrival of the First Fleet looked like to the Aboriginal people living around Sydney Harbour. This book imagines the high-level meeting that is called by elders to discuss how they should react to these “visitors”. Some of the elders had seen similar boast before – several years prior when Cook arrived. They hadn’t been impressed – while they went away after a short time, they stole weapons and cut down trees.
So seven of the elders, representing each tribal group around the harbour, come together to talk about whether the Europeans should be welcomed – as is customary in Aboriginal society , or ever setting foot on Country. Harrison gives the seven Elders European names – Lawrence, Gary, Gordon, Joseph, Nathaniel, Walter and Albert – and dresses them in suits. Of this the writer says “If they’d been naked – as they would have been – I think it would have again fallen into that trope of the noble savage. I wanted to portray them as senior men, as senators really, representing all the clans. And I sort of wanted to mess with people’s heads in putting them in clothes. I didn’t want them to be othered.” (https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/...) She also gave them contemporary speech habits. Dialogue is written out as in a script – for example:
Lawrence: Who are they and why are they here?
Gary: I’d have to see it. For myself. That’s all.”
The effect is to make the book really come alive. Contributing to that effect is the rendering of each character as someone that everyone had encountered in a difficult meeting – there is the hothead who just wants action, the more cerebral person who wants time to think about things, the people who make decisions based their personal antagonisms with others in the group, the person who goes left field, the pivoter. There is a LOT of humour in the dialogue between the men. From the same review: “Yet, some express a duty of care to strangers. “Us mob exchange knowledge all the time, why not with them?” asks Walter, the most generous elder. “Perhaps where their knowledge meets ours, something new and unique can be created?” the interactions felt so fresh!
I loved this book. I thought it was clever and funny and so so sad all at once. As a reader, you know what is coming – so there is a grim foreboding sitting over the novel. Harrison was quoted in the same review as saying: “…colonisation was a disempowering concept for Indigenous people. “But I also think it’s disempowering for non-Aboriginal people because it gets us all stuck in this paradigm where we can’t move. So I wanted to explore the idea: what if Aboriginal people had agency around that event? And what if they could decide whether the visitors landed and were welcomed to country or whether they were sent away?”
Harrison said that “she wanted to write something that reflected the Aboriginal men she knew – men, she says, who were knowledgeable, kind, family men and good partners… “The research had shown that in fact Aboriginal women were doing quite well in all the social indicators, but that men had fallen behind a little bit. I wanted to do something that shows they have agency, resilience, strength and power.” (https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/...) She brings to life the temperature of the day – it is broodingly hot and the sky is filled with mammatus clouds. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammatu...) A cockatoo falls dead out of the sky. It’s a love letter to Country as it was then. “The prose is candid and delicate — the environment is treated with gentle fervour. This is a land where its people measure time by looking at shadow lengths; where the sky is filled with “clouds dark grey” like “caterpillars across the expanse”, where lobsters “skulk” and mudflats come “alive…with creatures” and ducks “slide through the water, leaving silver arrows in their wake”.
The Europeans are depicted as wretched savages in a great inversion of perspectives. The Elders observe the crew on one of the first fleet ships gathering for an event. The crew assembles a pole from which to hang a rope looped at one end. “Readers will know immediately what is soon to be done but the Elders look on with horror as they struggle to understand what they are seeing. Two of the crew appear dragging ‘a mere boy’ [201] towards the pole and the rope is draped over his head – and the boy is hanged. Albert expresses what the Elders are thinking – In your wildest thoughts, can you ever think of such a thing?”
(https://www.queenslandreviewerscollec...)
The final sentence of the novel says it all – We once lived in Paradise. Harrison makes a good case for this. Do read this novel – and try to see the play – there is a clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWwZb...
So seven of the elders, representing each tribal group around the harbour, come together to talk about whether the Europeans should be welcomed – as is customary in Aboriginal society , or ever setting foot on Country. Harrison gives the seven Elders European names – Lawrence, Gary, Gordon, Joseph, Nathaniel, Walter and Albert – and dresses them in suits. Of this the writer says “If they’d been naked – as they would have been – I think it would have again fallen into that trope of the noble savage. I wanted to portray them as senior men, as senators really, representing all the clans. And I sort of wanted to mess with people’s heads in putting them in clothes. I didn’t want them to be othered.” (https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/...) She also gave them contemporary speech habits. Dialogue is written out as in a script – for example:
Lawrence: Who are they and why are they here?
Gary: I’d have to see it. For myself. That’s all.”
The effect is to make the book really come alive. Contributing to that effect is the rendering of each character as someone that everyone had encountered in a difficult meeting – there is the hothead who just wants action, the more cerebral person who wants time to think about things, the people who make decisions based their personal antagonisms with others in the group, the person who goes left field, the pivoter. There is a LOT of humour in the dialogue between the men. From the same review: “Yet, some express a duty of care to strangers. “Us mob exchange knowledge all the time, why not with them?” asks Walter, the most generous elder. “Perhaps where their knowledge meets ours, something new and unique can be created?” the interactions felt so fresh!
I loved this book. I thought it was clever and funny and so so sad all at once. As a reader, you know what is coming – so there is a grim foreboding sitting over the novel. Harrison was quoted in the same review as saying: “…colonisation was a disempowering concept for Indigenous people. “But I also think it’s disempowering for non-Aboriginal people because it gets us all stuck in this paradigm where we can’t move. So I wanted to explore the idea: what if Aboriginal people had agency around that event? And what if they could decide whether the visitors landed and were welcomed to country or whether they were sent away?”
Harrison said that “she wanted to write something that reflected the Aboriginal men she knew – men, she says, who were knowledgeable, kind, family men and good partners… “The research had shown that in fact Aboriginal women were doing quite well in all the social indicators, but that men had fallen behind a little bit. I wanted to do something that shows they have agency, resilience, strength and power.” (https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/...) She brings to life the temperature of the day – it is broodingly hot and the sky is filled with mammatus clouds. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammatu...) A cockatoo falls dead out of the sky. It’s a love letter to Country as it was then. “The prose is candid and delicate — the environment is treated with gentle fervour. This is a land where its people measure time by looking at shadow lengths; where the sky is filled with “clouds dark grey” like “caterpillars across the expanse”, where lobsters “skulk” and mudflats come “alive…with creatures” and ducks “slide through the water, leaving silver arrows in their wake”.
The Europeans are depicted as wretched savages in a great inversion of perspectives. The Elders observe the crew on one of the first fleet ships gathering for an event. The crew assembles a pole from which to hang a rope looped at one end. “Readers will know immediately what is soon to be done but the Elders look on with horror as they struggle to understand what they are seeing. Two of the crew appear dragging ‘a mere boy’ [201] towards the pole and the rope is draped over his head – and the boy is hanged. Albert expresses what the Elders are thinking – In your wildest thoughts, can you ever think of such a thing?”
(https://www.queenslandreviewerscollec...)
The final sentence of the novel says it all – We once lived in Paradise. Harrison makes a good case for this. Do read this novel – and try to see the play – there is a clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWwZb...
July 8, 2024
“Without love, without respect, everything is chaos. I haven't asked if they can step onto my country.”
It is 1788. An emergency meeting is held near Kamay in the summer heat. What will they do about the huge nowees (canoes) that are heading for the coast? Who are these visitors and why do they come to Country?
Jane Harrison’s play, The Visitors was delivered to audiences in 2020 where this story played out in the language and clothing of the people who colonised Australia those hundreds of years ago. Now in prose form, Jane Harrison transitions the play into a retelling of the day of invasion from the perspective of those wo have lived for and cared for Country for hundreds of thousands of years. Why have they arrived here, and what dd they want? Why have they brought other animals, waste and things that pollute the land? Why are the Aboriginal people dying so quickly after meeting them? There is a bewilderment in trying to comprehend who these visitors were and why they even wanted to come here in the first place.
The book explores the concept of an illegal alien from the First Nations point of view, the impact of invasion, how culture can remain when another is trying to wipe it out. Why was there no respect for the Land, and no respect for those who were here, and sadly, why has this no been resolved today? Itr also explored what this land was like all those years ago: the writing is a visual fast for the mind in the way it is described through colour, movement, animals and nature.
As the book progresses, my despair grew by the word. Not because I didn’t know what was going to happen, but because I am so saddened and sorry by how it all came to be. The Coda of this book is like watching all the events from the past 250 years in slow motion, unable to shield my heart from the damage that unfolded in the book, and indeed in Australia’s history. It referred to over six seasons passing, after the people from thee nowees came to shore, and its last paragraphs speak volumes as to the impact of the invasion.
“Within our own mobs we vow to hold onto as much of our culture and lore as we can, despite the devastation and loss that the visitors have caused. We declare that generations to come will rebuild and recover - that we are still here and shall remain so forever.
Nothing could have prepared the tribes for this. None of our songlines alluded to this.
We once lived in Paradise.”
It is 1788. An emergency meeting is held near Kamay in the summer heat. What will they do about the huge nowees (canoes) that are heading for the coast? Who are these visitors and why do they come to Country?
Jane Harrison’s play, The Visitors was delivered to audiences in 2020 where this story played out in the language and clothing of the people who colonised Australia those hundreds of years ago. Now in prose form, Jane Harrison transitions the play into a retelling of the day of invasion from the perspective of those wo have lived for and cared for Country for hundreds of thousands of years. Why have they arrived here, and what dd they want? Why have they brought other animals, waste and things that pollute the land? Why are the Aboriginal people dying so quickly after meeting them? There is a bewilderment in trying to comprehend who these visitors were and why they even wanted to come here in the first place.
The book explores the concept of an illegal alien from the First Nations point of view, the impact of invasion, how culture can remain when another is trying to wipe it out. Why was there no respect for the Land, and no respect for those who were here, and sadly, why has this no been resolved today? Itr also explored what this land was like all those years ago: the writing is a visual fast for the mind in the way it is described through colour, movement, animals and nature.
As the book progresses, my despair grew by the word. Not because I didn’t know what was going to happen, but because I am so saddened and sorry by how it all came to be. The Coda of this book is like watching all the events from the past 250 years in slow motion, unable to shield my heart from the damage that unfolded in the book, and indeed in Australia’s history. It referred to over six seasons passing, after the people from thee nowees came to shore, and its last paragraphs speak volumes as to the impact of the invasion.
“Within our own mobs we vow to hold onto as much of our culture and lore as we can, despite the devastation and loss that the visitors have caused. We declare that generations to come will rebuild and recover - that we are still here and shall remain so forever.
Nothing could have prepared the tribes for this. None of our songlines alluded to this.
We once lived in Paradise.”
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