This storied land

It has been common for a generation, following Geoffrey Blainey and John Howard, to think of Australian histories as being of either the “black armband” or the “three cheers” variety. Such terms, of course, are simplistic, functioning at best as a form of shorthand. At worst, they are no more than fodder for the horses in Australia’s history wars.

But, if it is necessary to think in terms of such dualities, a better way of dividing up histories might be to differentiate the “pre-Mabo” and the “post-Mabo”. These groups are not entirely chronological, since pre-Mabo histories still appear regularly and sell well.

Pre-Mabo histories celebrate the bravery of hardy explorers and pioneers, entrepreneurs’ contribution to national prosperity, and the exploits of daring Anzacs. They use terms such as “we”, “us” and “our”, addressing an audience that shares a common...