October 1, 2014
Shaped for good purpose
Don Watson
From stick insects to swagmen in Don Watson’s ‘The Bush’
John Hirst
By this author
July 2, 2014
Why is Australia not a republic?
blog
With all the changes wrought by World War II, Australia was in the 1950s still a British society. I can testify to that. In school I learnt British history, geography and poetry. At recess we played a rough game known as British bulldog. On Monday morning …
May 5, 2011
A grand history
Culture
Mark McKenna’s ‘An Eye for Eternity’
February 4, 2009
Public goods & pipe organs
nation_reviewed
If a town hall has an organ should it also have an official town-hall organist? I thought I took a wide interest in public affairs but until I met Professor Ian Harper, who was in charge of refurbishing the organ in the Melbourne Town Hall, I had never …
November 5, 2008
Following Menzies
Politics
What should the Liberal Party do when Labor governments favour private enterprise, contracting out and selling off? Join in, of course. In August, Barry O'Farrell, the leader of the New South Wales Liberals, refused to join in when Morris Iemma's Labor …
September 2, 2008
An indigenous game
Society
Aboriginal people make up 2% of the population and 10% of footballers in the Australian Football League. As anyone who has seen them in action will attest, they seem made to play the game, but were they makers of the game as well? Their role in the game's …
July 2, 2008
An oddity from the start
Society
Convicts and national character
February 6, 2008
Australia
Politics
The official history
July 4, 2007
Political courage
Politics
Some Australian examples
October 4, 2006
The first XI
arts
The best Australian history books