Together, Bain and Arnold will discuss Bain’s new book, Possession: Batman’s Treaty and the Matter of History. This is a fascinating tale of settlement, betrayal, and the power of myth in the founding of Australia. Centred upon Batman’s Treaty, the only treaty ever forged between settlers and indigenous people in Australia, Possession explores what Aboriginal people understood the treaty to mean, and how it was reinterpreted and ultimately rejected by the government of the day. Possession also poses one crucial question: why didn’t the British recognise the indigenous Australians’ land rights, even though the rights of native people were routinely acknowledged elsewhere throughout the empire? Bain Attwood is a leading scholar in the field of cross-cultural history. He is professor in the School of Historical Studies, Monash University, and adjunct professor in the Centre for Cross-Cultural Research, The Australian National University.

Free, but please book on 9347 6633 or by email.