Why do you criticise us for not living in the European way? (1) taps (2) bathrooms (3) stoves (4) toilets (5) houses (6) lights (7) kitchen.

When you like us to live in the European way we have to get all these things, but we do not have the money to buy all that. We need assistance of the Government because we had to change to money life and that means that we have to get jobs to get the money. We didnt need that in our way.

It is not easy to live in two ways, the Aboriginal way and the balanda way. You are telling us to combine the two ways, but that is not easy because on the one hand we depend on money and jobs and on the other hand we cannot live without our moieties, skingroups, dreamings, animals, country, totems and so on.

They say we are "full citizen" but we do not know what this really means, some of us think it means that you can drink as much grog as you like. As citizen we live in the balanda law, but we have our own law too.

Jack Mirritji, My People's Life An Aboriginal's Own Story, Millingimbi, 1976, p 71

Latest Papers

The working papers collection comprises historical papers as well as current ideas and works in progress on some of the major issues and topics of our times.

N^ku Dh^ruk (released 19 July 2025)
The greatest civilization will find a way to look outside itself and recognize in difference something that improves the world mind, the world capacity. Sadly that is not Australia.
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Common Sense: Towards an Australian Republic that improves the country (released 29 June 2025)
"Do you approve amending the Constitution to establish the Australian Executive Council, comprising the Prime Minister and state and territory Premiers, as Australia’s head of state, replacing the Governor-General and State governors?"
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Productivity (released 21 May 2025)
Before the 2025 election A. Albanese sent Doechii's "Anxiety" to every member of his caucus.
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Sleeping in a cloud (released 7 May 2025)
Some are unsure about sleeping in a cloud
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Karma (released 22 April 2025)
In a world in which Doechii’s "Anxiety" is on JJJs high rotation list, where Trump/Vance, Putin. Xi, Netanyahu and right wing populism threaten to wreck the world as we know it, Peter Dutton and David Littleproud are unelectable.
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Australian Frankenstein: Alexander Berry, Mary Shelley and Arawarra (released 30 March 2025)
Each historical era throws up its heroes and villains. Certainly Alexander Berry is a fallen angel moving from hero and rescuer of the survivors of the Boyd, innovative pioneer and trader to ruthless patriarch to Australian Frankenstein/grave robber and vicious environmental vandal.
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Riding the Bevel (released 13 March 2025)
Jeffrey Sachs and I were in Moscow in 1990. Sachs recent full blown speech to the European Parliament caused me to reflect on that time, the opportunities lost and the lingering tragedy and unprincipled opportunism that often underlies foreign policy.
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"Jerry Bailey" (released 20 February 2025)
The etymology of "Jerry Bailey"/Shoalhaven Heads and the Tragedy of Thom Davidson
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Farm (released 3 February 2025)
All things being equal it takes a long time, perhaps one hundred years to sustain a half decent farm. Money won’t buy it. Technology will not create it. You need three generations with a disciplined, unbroken vision. Every step of the way is fragile and the whole enterprise may come tumbling down at any point. Without enlightenment it can be an impossible, soul destroying enterprise.
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Fear and Intuition (released 22 January 2025)
Age, time and scholarship bring the ability to appreciate and comprehend strange confluences.
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