Settled? Discovered? Invaded? Discussing our Australian story and history

What’s in a word? Invaded, settled, discovered. Well quite a lot actually when it comes to the terminology used to define Australia’s colonial history and our first people. Yesterday the front page of the Daily Telegraph was accusing UNSW of trying to “rewrite” history after telling students that the arrival of the British should be referred to as an invasion rather than a settlement.

Debate has exploded over the four-year-old guidelines that have been described by some commentators as politically correct madness and a “whitewash” of history but have defended by historians, academics and members of the public.

YARN Australia is a group dedicated to fostering relationships and understanding between indigenous and non-indigenous people. We had CEO of the organisation Warren Roberts on the line to talk more about Captain Cook and the term ‘invasion’.

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