Making Australian History

Australian history has been revised and reinterpreted by successive generations of historians, writers, governments and public commentators, yet there has been no account of the ways it has changed, who makes history and how. Making Australian History responds to this critical gap in Australian historical research.

In a tense and dangerous international environment, this book looks at the important question of how Australia deals with the outside world.

The postwar period in Australian history was rife with critical debate over notions of nation-building, multiculturalism, and internationalization. Australian Post-War Documentary Film tackles these issues in a considered, wide-ranging analysis of three types of documentaries: governmental, institutional, and radical. Charting the rise of progressive film culture, this volume critiques key films of the era, including The Back of Beyond, and retells film history by placing these documentaries in an international context.

The postwar period in Australian history was rife with critical debate over notions of nation-building, multiculturalism, and internationalization.

Does history repeat itself in meaningful ways, or is each problem unique? How can a knowledge of Australian history enhance our understanding of the present and prepare us for the future?