Author Doris Pilkington (left), with director Philip Noyce, producer Christine Olsen, and actor Everlyn Sampi (Molly Craig in the film)web links and documents
Background information on the historian Keith Windschuttle can be found on Wikipedia. The address for this entry is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_WindschuttleThe 'History Wars' in Australia is an ongoing public debate over the interpretation of the history of the British colonisation of Australia, and its impact on Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. A brief account of this dispute over Australia's history (including Keith Windschuttle's part in it) can be found on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_wars
In 1996 former prime minister John Howard delivered the annual Robert Menzies Lecture. In this lecture Howard was critical of what he described as 'the black arm band view of history'. He defined this as a tendency by many historians to focus on the negative in Australian history and to see white interactions with black Australians as a story of racism and genocide. John Howard is a supporter of the view of history promoted by Keith Windschuttle. The full text of this John Howard's speech can be found at http://www.menzieslecture.org/1996.html
In July 2007 the New English Review published a comment by Theodore Dalrymple that is essentially a defence of Keith Windschuttle's first volume of 'The Fabrication of Aboriginal History'. Dalrymple also attempts to explain why some historians appear to favour a view of Australian history which presents white interaction with blacks as genocide. The title of Dalrymple's piece is 'Why Intellectuals Like Genocide'. The full text of the opinion piece can be found at http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/8744/sec_id/8744
On December 14, 2009, The Debaser (Online) published an opinion piece by Alexander Edwards titled, 'Windschuttle back in the history war trenches'. The piece is a comment on both Windschuttle's response to the film 'Rabbit-Proof Fence' and on Windschuttle's place in the 'history wars'. Edwards believes the film should still be studied in Australian schools, even if some of its claims are disputed. The full text of Edwards' piece can be found at http://www.debaseronline.com.au/index.php/Editorials/Editorials/windschuttle-back-in-the-history-wars-trenches.html
On December 16, 2009, The Sydney Morning Herald published three letters under the heading 'Windschuttle runs wild with our history'. The letters are all variously critical of Windschuttle's claims. They can be read at http://www.smh.com.au/national/letters/nothing-swell-about-the-swill-when-dad-got-home-20091215-kuhn.htm
(Please note, if you access these letters online you will find them about half-way through the letters published on December 16, 2009.)