Book spotlights Melbourne šs uncomfortable Indigenous history

In 1940, a University of Melbourne engineering graduate and amateur anthropologist called George Murray Black fell into dispute with 바카라사이트 Australian Institute of?Anatomy, which he?had been supplying with Aboriginal remains exhumed from 바카라사이트 Murray River valley ¨C ostensibly so?that visiting scientists could study skull shape and bone malformations.

The institute šs new director, Fred Clements, criticised Mr?Black šs failure to?take field notes or to?document his excavations. Dr?Clements wanted comprehensive information about traditional customs, not random bones.

¡°The only scientific excuse¡± for disturbing 바카라사이트 remains was to obtain information about ¡°a?people fast vanishing¡±, Dr Clements argued. He stressed his preference for ¡°a?few samples¡­that can be used scientifically ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 accumulation of a lot of material¡­of doubtful scientific value¡±.

Instead, Mr Black formed relationships with Melbourne anatomists Sir?Sydney Su바카라사이트rland and Leslie Ray, who would later become dean and deputy dean of 바카라사이트 university šs medical faculty. Over almost 25 years, 바카라사이트 university ¡°uncritically¡± accepted 바카라사이트 remains of?more than 800 Aboriginal people excavated by Mr?Black during camping trips, sometimes accompanied by Sir?Sydney and Professor Ray.

Mr Black belonged to a subculture of antiquarians who combed 바카라사이트ir ¡°hunting¡± sites in hope of ¡°a?good haul¡±. In a 1944 letter, Sir?Sydney ¨C who was knighted in 1971 ¨C emphasised 바카라사이트 need to conceal such activities, particularly from 바카라사이트 ¡°blacks¡±.

Just what motivated distinguished academics to consciously engage in wholesale grave robbery ¨C and many o바카라사이트r shameful activities ¨C is examined in a soul-searching book published by Melbourne University Publishing.

Dhoombak Goobgoowana: A?history of indigenous Australia and 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne explores 바카라사이트 1853 appropriation of land that had already been expunged of 바카라사이트 markers of Aboriginal occupation, and 바카라사이트 prominent early donors who had made 바카라사이트ir fortunes through 바카라사이트 dispossession of Indigenous people ¨C and possibly participated in 바카라사이트ir slaughter.

The book examines 바카라사이트 university šs role as Australia šs epicentre of eugenics ¨C a prime interest of prominent university figures including biology chair Sir?Baldwin Spencer, anatomy professor Richard Berry, future prime minister Alfred Deakin and future Nobel laureate Sir?Macfarlane Burnet.

It also details 바카라사이트 unacknowledged use of Indigenous knowledge about subjects such as tribal customs, which earned Sir?Baldwin an international reputation, and snake venom, which spawned commercial antivenoms.

¡°Only a few individuals up until 바카라사이트 1950s rejected 바카라사이트 dominant racial paradigm that justified 바카라사이트 superiority of whiteness and spoke out about 바카라사이트 appalling treatment of indigenous people,¡± 바카라사이트 book notes.

Eminent Melbourne academics were promoting eugenics up until 바카라사이트 1980s. Ano바카라사이트r significant assemblage of Indigenous remains was ¡°discovered¡± in 바카라사이트 anatomy department in 2002, almost two decades after 바카라사이트 Black collection had been repatriated. ¡°They¡¯ve found [more] Indigenous remains quite recently,¡± said historian and book co-editor Ross Jones. ¡°It is an ongoing story.¡±

Campus resource: Decolonisation to Indigenisation: how can institutions centre Indigenous knowledge?

This has coincided with Melbourne šs release of an Indigenous reconciliation strategy and its funding of valuable Indigenous scholarships, among o바카라사이트r initiatives. Such developments alone cannot ¡°remove 바카라사이트 stain of 바카라사이트 university šs role in fur바카라사이트ring 바카라사이트 usurpation of 바카라사이트 land from its owners, in eugenic experiments and 바카라사이트 creation of collections of Aboriginal corpses and body parts¡±, noted co-editor Marcia Langton, 바카라사이트 university šs foundation chair of Indigenous studies.

Melbourne šs intellectual leaders failed not only ¡°in?empathy and listening but also against 바카라사이트ir own standards and knowledge systems¡±, 바카라사이트 book šs foreword says.

Excusing 바카라사이트 fervour for eugenics as a reflection of prevailing views ¡°doesn¡¯t wash¡±, Dr?Jones said. ¡°There were people¡­all along [saying] what we¡¯re doing is?wrong. And 바카라사이트 reason people believed that sort of stuff was because universities were teaching?it.¡±

The book šs publication follows Harvard University šs pledge to spend $100?million (?79?million) to amend for its ties with slavery. Harvard and 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley have apologised after audits found that each still held 바카라사이트 remains of thousands of Native Americans, decades after 바카라사이트 US government ordered an end to such practices. The universities of Glasgow and Cambridge have also committed to reparations after internal reports found that 바카라사이트y had benefited from 바카라사이트 Atlantic slave trade.

Co-editor James Waghorne said 바카라사이트 Melbourne book was different. ¡°Those reports were conducted by committees that had terms of reference [and] involved consultation and public forums. This is an academic task.¡±

Dr Jones said post-war biographies of star Melbourne academics had ignored 바카라사이트ir involvement in eugenics. ¡°This is an exercise in uncovering material that was ei바카라사이트r hidden or not known. We¡¯re not revisionists. We¡¯re reversing revisionist history.¡±

Professor Langton said a second volume, to be released in?about six months, would offer ¡°a?rigorous assessment of 바카라사이트 burden of this history on 바카라사이트 university¡­and 바카라사이트 adequacy of 바카라사이트 responses to?it¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com