The Aborigines Of Western Australia

The Aborigines Of Western Australia

by Albert F. Calvert


This short book looks at the life and beliefs of The Aborigines of Western Australia. As with most of the books from this era and dealing with this type of subject, you have to be wary of the racism that underlines them. That said, the author was well intentioned. Calvert, who lists literally dozens of academic affiliations on the title page, does criticize his contemporaries for their treatment of Aborigines as subhumans. Throughout the essay he attempts to demonstrate that the native Australians have a complete cultural inventory. He notes that many of the Aboriginal beliefs and practices which seem strange to Europeans are not that different than some listed in the Bible. He ends with a plea for protection of the Aborigines. It bears pointing out this paternalistic attitude ironically led to policies which devastated aboriginal culture.