Looking for Australia
By John Hirst
2010
First Published
3.59
Average Rating
289
Number of Pages
In these fascinating essays, John Hirst delves into Australia s history, politics and society. He considers whether Curtin was indeed our greatest prime minister and tells the story of how Australia introduced the secret ballot and compulsory voting. He selects the best history books and explores the idea that Australian Rules has its origins in Aboriginal pastimes. He discusses the process of writing the official history for new citizens, reflects on Australia's past as a British dependency and its possible future as a republic. And he examines our convict legacy, its contribution to the national character, and our peculiar adoption of bushmen and bushrangers as popular heroes. This collection of writing is a companion and successor to the bestselling Sense & Nonsense in Australian History.
Avg Rating
3.59
Number of Ratings
22
5 STARS
18%
4 STARS
36%
3 STARS
32%
2 STARS
14%
1 STARS
0%
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Author
John Hirst
Author · 8 books
John Bradley Hirst, FASSA (9 July 1942 – 3 February 2016) was an Australian historian and social commentator. He taught at La Trobe University from 1968 until his retirement in 2006, edited Historical Studies—Australia's leading historical journal—from 1977 to 1980, and also served on the boards of Film Australia and the National Museum of Australia. He has been described as an "historian, public intellectual, and active citizen". He wrote widely on Australian history and society, publishing two well-received books about colonial New South Wales. Hirst also frequently published opinion pieces in the media.
