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Waringh Waringh
Waringh Waringh is the name for the Warwick area in the language of the Gidhabal people who have lived in the area for many thousands of years. This book is a collection of aspects of the history of those people both before and after European people came.
246 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2003
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November 6, 2022
Local history books are relatively rare presumably because book publishers steer clear of what might be considered a 'narrow slice' of the overall picture with interest reduced to those who might be in the area now. Where that concerns regional areas, the sales/economics presumably don't warrant the effort by major publishers.
But this book is, and should have been, worth the effort!
David Parsons has done a great job knitting together a raft of historical references, local evidence and artefacts to forge a cohesive text on the indigenous condition from the early 1800's through to the time of publication. It is set predominantly in the broader Warwick district of Queensland (or, more precisely Gidhabal country) but examples from elsewhere in Australia that set the broader societal tone of the times are usefully deployed.
It seemed to me that Waringh Waringh was on the same important mission to expose the depth and longevity of the local culture of our first people: the Gidhabal, and its subsequent destruction, as Bruce Pascoe's recent Dark Emu, preceding it, however, by at least twelve years. Parson's book is also a pre-cursor to the 'new' concept of truth-telling: an admirable movement to balance the ledger of the narrative that all Australians must consider, integrate into their mindset about the history of the country, and, ultimately, own.
Great book, albeit hard to come by an edition these days...try your regional library!
Update: In fact there are currently 19 places where you can borrow the book: https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/2402975...
But this book is, and should have been, worth the effort!
David Parsons has done a great job knitting together a raft of historical references, local evidence and artefacts to forge a cohesive text on the indigenous condition from the early 1800's through to the time of publication. It is set predominantly in the broader Warwick district of Queensland (or, more precisely Gidhabal country) but examples from elsewhere in Australia that set the broader societal tone of the times are usefully deployed.
It seemed to me that Waringh Waringh was on the same important mission to expose the depth and longevity of the local culture of our first people: the Gidhabal, and its subsequent destruction, as Bruce Pascoe's recent Dark Emu, preceding it, however, by at least twelve years. Parson's book is also a pre-cursor to the 'new' concept of truth-telling: an admirable movement to balance the ledger of the narrative that all Australians must consider, integrate into their mindset about the history of the country, and, ultimately, own.
Great book, albeit hard to come by an edition these days...try your regional library!
Update: In fact there are currently 19 places where you can borrow the book: https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/2402975...
Displaying 1 of 1 review