From the Ruins of Colonialism History as Social Memory [Paperback]

Throws fresh light on the history of memory, forgetting and colonialism. It considers key moments of historical imagination, and analyses the strange ensemble of elements that constitute Australian History.This book throws fresh light on the history of memory, forgetting and colonialism. It considers key moments of historical imagination, and analyses the strange ensemble of elements that constitute Australian History. It is an innovative and stimulating investigation of historical cultures and narratives.This book throws fresh light on the history of memory, forgetting and colonialism. It considers key moments of historical imagination, and analyses the strange ensemble of elements that constitute Australian History. It is an innovative and stimulating investigation of historical cultures and narratives.From the Ruins of Colonialism throws fresh light on the history of memory, forgetting and colonialism. Focusing on Australia, the book charts how film, public commemorations, history textbooks and museums have, in a strange ensemble, become something called Australian History. It considers key moments of historical imagination, including the legends of Captain Cook and the Eureka Stockade, events such as the 1988 Bicentennial celebrations and the shipwrecked woman Eliza Fraser, whose story reflects anxieties about race and gender. This book argues for a new sense of remembering. Rather than being content with a culture of amnesia, it makes the case for learning to belong in the ruins of colonial histories. Chris Healy's investigation of these historical cultures and narratives is innovative and stimulating and will become a powerful statement for new histories.Prologue: From the ruins of colonialism; Part I. In the Beginning: 1. Captain Cook and genesis: white histories of Cook; 2. Captain Cook and death: black histories of Cook; Part II. Installing Memory: 3. We remember for you: the memory work of museums; 4. 'History is disliked': the memory work of schooling; Pal¥