Which history narrative should prevail?

Hobart’s Lord Mayor, Alderman Sue Hickey recently conveyed a view about the proposed memorial to the ‘Black War’ in making comments about Mona’s vision for Macquaire Point. A vision she clearly shares as I do. One very small part of her statement out of context was seized upon. The resulting nasty commentary, specially on social media, but also in the traditional electronic media and the letters to the editor of the Mercury was beyond the pale.

Leaving those comments aside, is it time now, whilst contemplating visions of the redevelopment of the railway yards to consider what our future and continuing vision of what we would like Tasmania to represent to the world and to ourselves?

This is the context of an increasing visitor interest in Tasmania because of its quirky private art museum Mona, its indigenous and European history, heritage convict era buildings, incredible natural physical beauty, clean environment containing fascinating flora and fauna, outstanding food, wine, extensive wildness areas and overwhelmingly friendly hospitable people.

As one of those many keen students of Tasmanian history I know that our shared past experience is of great interest nationally, internationally and more importantly internally. But there are multiple clashes of how we should view Tasmania’s history and which one(s) prevails. Should it be a shame narrative by being only the story of dispossession of land (which factually happened) from a people that had occupied this land for 40,0000 years or more? Is our history and the present be only conveyed as a continuing a victim/perpetrator story? Sadly, from recent comments from The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre certainly believes it should. But there are other aboriginal groups who have a different view.

We know our history. It is more complex and rich than that and more inclusive. We are the inheritors and often descendants of the former British Empire’s equivalent of a cruel Gulag, a giant jail for over 70,000 convicts (men, women and children), expurgated from their families for ever and in many cases, brutally treated.

Yet all of us are the torchbearers of all that is positive from the European enlightenment (rights of individuals such as free speech, science and democracy, impartial courts to name but a few) which is the basis of our civil society. We have welcomed settlers, and thousands of displaced peoples from worldwide and local conflicts particularly in the 20th and 21st century. We have made a fair society (irrespective of culture, race or religion), with certainly some faults that need addressing but have been welcoming, generous and have continued to provide work and education opportunities for a better future for families and their future descendants. Tasmania is the envy of the world; a safe clean natural place for people, with little internal conflict and a low crime rate.

We have in the last 50 years determined through our courts, the political system and parliament, land rights for our first peoples, corrected massive injustices in the wording of the Australia’s 19th century constitution and seen the growth of university educated professionals that identify as aboriginal. The first peoples along with numerous migrants have seized opportunities to make good. There has been significant recognition of past wrongs eg in the national apology by PM Rudd of the stolen people.

It is time to have a positive narrative for the future and celebrate the achievements of the past as well as acknowledging past injustices to all our peoples.

*Jeff Briscoe is a teacher in the State College system and has been a Hobart City alderman for 23 years. He holds a masters degree in Tasmanian History and degrees in both Law and Chemistry.

• Mark Horstman in Comments: … The question in the headline – “whose narrative should prevail?” – is soundly answered by your assertion that everyone should just forget about the negatives of colonisation and focus on the positives. That is, the view of the victors should prevail, regardless of historical truths. We can truthfully commemorate the achievements of Tasmania’s development over the last two centuries only when we recognise the realities that it was based on. That is not guilt, but clear-eyed acceptance of historical fact. When it comes to war memorials for people who died defending their country, try substituting ‘ANZACS’ for ‘Aborigines’, and see how your views sound.