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Troubled Waters: Borders, Boundaries and Possession in the Timor Sea
The dramatic transformation of Australia's northern seas—from an ignored backwater to the most militarized and fiercely guarded waters in the region—is chronicled in this fascinating volume. Once a bridge between two coastlines and two cultures, in the last years of the 20th century the Timor Sea has become Australia's frontline against the threat of invasion. When Australia expanded its territorial boundaries by 200 nautical miles in 1979, its territory reached the doorstep of eastern Indonesia—an occupation driven by the concept of mare nullius , the idea that the sea was empty and that no one would suffer for their claims. But for the traditional fishermen of West Timor, these waters represented the source of their livelihood, and this powerful story includes the struggles of a people evicted from their seas.
188 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 11, 2018
A beautifully written book, can't believe I hadn't read it until now. A devastating history of the losses sustained by the people of the island of Rote and other surrounding islands when the ocean became bordered, bounded, policed and taken away by neighbouring Australia. A great history of the process by which the concept of 'Mare Nullius' (Empty Sea) was promoted to allow these things to happen.
Read about the treatment of Rotenese 'illegal' fisherman in this book - pretty outrageous. A good companion book to Martinez and Vickers' The Pearling Frontier. 'Troubled Waters' is a must read and a great read! Now to track down the documentary of the same name.
Read about the treatment of Rotenese 'illegal' fisherman in this book - pretty outrageous. A good companion book to Martinez and Vickers' The Pearling Frontier. 'Troubled Waters' is a must read and a great read! Now to track down the documentary of the same name.
July 8, 2018
I was trying to think if I have read another book which deconstructs so efficiently the Australian government's contemporary destructive effects on Asia-Pacific communities: reveals, in effect, the lie that Australia is a benevolent wealthy power in the region. I failed to think of one, but I am not well-read in this area. It is a testament, however, to Balint's book that it is an effective revelator while resisting the urge to oversimplify for polemical effect. Balint draws out the various pressures operating in the Timor Sea, from debt-bondage, technological shifts, changing cultural and racial patterns, to demonstrate how squeezed and option-less many fisherpeoples have become. By far the most disturbing, however, is the persecution by Australian law and law enforcement of these people. In general, I am becoming more aware of the role that poverty plays in ensuring incarceration in Australia - with a huge number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people locked up for fine default - and the accounts of prison sentences being uniform as fines are levied on Australian rates - which are unthinkable for Indonesian fishers - was really horrifying, given the lack of public debate around this issue.
I also appreciated Balint's coverage of people smuggling. It can be a tendency among the left to point out that delivering refugees from danger should be a heroic, not condemned, activity, but Balint also spells out the profit-hungry conditions in which this occurs, the push to do use vulnerable sailors in boats that aren't safe, to deliver people to locations where their fate is likely to be bad. She also highlights how Australian law enforcement chases the sailors forced into the activity, and not the money profiting from everyone's desperation.
I also appreciated Balint's coverage of people smuggling. It can be a tendency among the left to point out that delivering refugees from danger should be a heroic, not condemned, activity, but Balint also spells out the profit-hungry conditions in which this occurs, the push to do use vulnerable sailors in boats that aren't safe, to deliver people to locations where their fate is likely to be bad. She also highlights how Australian law enforcement chases the sailors forced into the activity, and not the money profiting from everyone's desperation.
August 19, 2026
First it was a documentary film, then the topic of a PhD thesis, and finally a book, which was the co-winner of the Vogel Prize in 2003. And a well-deserved winner at that, as this is an impressive record.
As an Australian, I appreciate that there is plenty to be proud of in this country's history since European occupation began in 1788. For a nation that has a relatively small population compared to its vast land area, it punches above its weight internationally in many fields of endeavour.
But, it must also be acknowledged that in our short history, less than a quarter of a millennium, there are many episodes that have brought shame and are decidedly cringeworthy.
The treatment of the local Indigenous population, with its many massacres, widespread displacement and destruction of culture and language has been widely documented, even if it is not fully accepted by those who don't want to know.
But the history covered by Troubled Waters is part of Australia's shameful past (some not very far past) that is much less well known, poorly understood, and seemingly has a 'care factor' that is close to zero.
In this thoroughly researched and carefully assembled record, Balint has documented the long history, way pre-dating European settlement, of the interactions between Indonesian fishermen, who traditionally fished these waters between their home islands and the North West coast of Australia, and the local Indigenous inhabitants.
The locals have many stories of sightings of Rotenese fishermen who came to Australian shores for rest, water, food, harvesting of shells and other sea products, and there are records of trade between Aborigines and these fishermen over a long period.
For a long time after colonization, even after Federation, governments didn't care too much about these foreign incursions into our sovereign territory. It was too far away, too hard to police and there was no real threat.
But gradually, things changed. Pearls were discovered along the Kimberley coast, with Broome becoming a central hub. Suddenly, there was a wave of foreigners, Indonesians, Japanese and others, coming to exploit this lucrative resource. Local Aborigines were effectively enslaved and forced to dived for pearls in unsafe conditions. Many died.
And so, the laws and regulations were developed, creating new boundaries, ever expanding, and increasingly enforced. These boundaries, lines on maps, were completely imaginary at sea - there are no visible boundary fences in the ocean.
The Indonesian fisherman, for whom fishing was their only source of livelihood and feeding their families, were suddenly limited in where and how much they could fish.. They were supposed to remain 'traditional', not 'commercial' (they were always commercial), meaning that they could not fit small motors to their boats, even for use in emergencies. Many died in storms as a result.
If they were caught outside these imaginary boundaries, they were towed to Australia, sentenced in court, fined, jailed and their boats were incinerated. Their families had no idea where they were.
And as other valuable resources, especially oil and gas, were discovered in this Timor Sea, the boundaries became further out and more severely enforced, as Australia exploited the Timorese nation and people, newly independent from Indonesia and its previous occupiers, the Portuguese.
Australia invoked that old chestnut, 'national security' as its excuse to behave like a schoolyard bully in imposing economic vandalism on the Timorese.
And then came the 'refugees', the so-called 'illegal aliens', Afghans, Iraqis, Chinese and others, who tried to come to Australia in unseaworthy boats, seeking asylum, departing from the shores of Indonesia, which was staging post for the final sea leg of a long journey.
Recall the Tampa incident, the 'children overboard' saga, the blatant lies told by Prime Minister Howard and his henchman, Minister Ruddock, simple to invoke fear in the electorate to win an election. This was the purposeful resurrection of xenophobia, of the worst elements of the White Australia policy. This was an extremely shameful period in our political and national history, as both major parties tied to outdo each other on being 'tough on borders'.
Troubled Waters is a fascinating document, a social, political and cultural history of events, some of which were not so long ago, that should be a source of reflection and some disquiet, even shame, among fair-minded Australians. It is a book, despite being more than 20 years old, that deserves a wider audience. I strongly commend it. 4.5 stars.
As an Australian, I appreciate that there is plenty to be proud of in this country's history since European occupation began in 1788. For a nation that has a relatively small population compared to its vast land area, it punches above its weight internationally in many fields of endeavour.
But, it must also be acknowledged that in our short history, less than a quarter of a millennium, there are many episodes that have brought shame and are decidedly cringeworthy.
The treatment of the local Indigenous population, with its many massacres, widespread displacement and destruction of culture and language has been widely documented, even if it is not fully accepted by those who don't want to know.
But the history covered by Troubled Waters is part of Australia's shameful past (some not very far past) that is much less well known, poorly understood, and seemingly has a 'care factor' that is close to zero.
In this thoroughly researched and carefully assembled record, Balint has documented the long history, way pre-dating European settlement, of the interactions between Indonesian fishermen, who traditionally fished these waters between their home islands and the North West coast of Australia, and the local Indigenous inhabitants.
The locals have many stories of sightings of Rotenese fishermen who came to Australian shores for rest, water, food, harvesting of shells and other sea products, and there are records of trade between Aborigines and these fishermen over a long period.
For a long time after colonization, even after Federation, governments didn't care too much about these foreign incursions into our sovereign territory. It was too far away, too hard to police and there was no real threat.
But gradually, things changed. Pearls were discovered along the Kimberley coast, with Broome becoming a central hub. Suddenly, there was a wave of foreigners, Indonesians, Japanese and others, coming to exploit this lucrative resource. Local Aborigines were effectively enslaved and forced to dived for pearls in unsafe conditions. Many died.
And so, the laws and regulations were developed, creating new boundaries, ever expanding, and increasingly enforced. These boundaries, lines on maps, were completely imaginary at sea - there are no visible boundary fences in the ocean.
The Indonesian fisherman, for whom fishing was their only source of livelihood and feeding their families, were suddenly limited in where and how much they could fish.. They were supposed to remain 'traditional', not 'commercial' (they were always commercial), meaning that they could not fit small motors to their boats, even for use in emergencies. Many died in storms as a result.
If they were caught outside these imaginary boundaries, they were towed to Australia, sentenced in court, fined, jailed and their boats were incinerated. Their families had no idea where they were.
And as other valuable resources, especially oil and gas, were discovered in this Timor Sea, the boundaries became further out and more severely enforced, as Australia exploited the Timorese nation and people, newly independent from Indonesia and its previous occupiers, the Portuguese.
Australia invoked that old chestnut, 'national security' as its excuse to behave like a schoolyard bully in imposing economic vandalism on the Timorese.
And then came the 'refugees', the so-called 'illegal aliens', Afghans, Iraqis, Chinese and others, who tried to come to Australia in unseaworthy boats, seeking asylum, departing from the shores of Indonesia, which was staging post for the final sea leg of a long journey.
Recall the Tampa incident, the 'children overboard' saga, the blatant lies told by Prime Minister Howard and his henchman, Minister Ruddock, simple to invoke fear in the electorate to win an election. This was the purposeful resurrection of xenophobia, of the worst elements of the White Australia policy. This was an extremely shameful period in our political and national history, as both major parties tied to outdo each other on being 'tough on borders'.
Troubled Waters is a fascinating document, a social, political and cultural history of events, some of which were not so long ago, that should be a source of reflection and some disquiet, even shame, among fair-minded Australians. It is a book, despite being more than 20 years old, that deserves a wider audience. I strongly commend it. 4.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews