A preference for forgetting: some reflections on publishing: Looking for Blackfellas’ Point: an Australian history of place

Abstract

This paper briefly canvasses some of the more casual and everyday (although no less revealing) responses to my recent book, Looking for Blackfellas' Point, a history of southeastern NSW which is narrated against the backdrop of the politics of Australian history. In light of the Wind-schuttle saga, I explain how my book was received, critique Windschuttle's concept of history, and offer some thoughts on the way in which we, as historians, might respond. I also argue that the culture of forgetting is deeply embedded in Australian society. To introduce the theme of forgetting , I begin, by way of comparison, recalling a personal experience in Germany.