Open discussion on the evolution of Australian and New Zealand Thought

Sunday 29 November 2009

Don Aitkin's What was it all for?

This is one of a number of a number of parallel posts recording my reactions to Don Aitkin's What was it all for? The Reshaping of Australia. (Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, 2005). I will add a full list of posts later.

Because the book centres on social change in Australia over fifty or so years, it contains a lot of material on the changing way Australian's think. The use of the Armidale High School leaving certificate class of 1953 as a prism provides a personal element to the story.

Overall, I think that the book illuminates many of the changes that have taken place not just in Australia, but in other countries as well.    

Wednesday 11 November 2009

Death of Bruce Mitchell

It has been a very long time since we posted. It's not that we have lost interest, just that posting has been hard in the middle of busy lives. I hope that we will do better in future.

Belshaw's world: In memory of Bruce Mitchell records the death of University of New England historian Bruce Mitchell. Bruce began as a Labor historian, then became heavily involved in local and regional history. Here he made a significant contribution not just in terms of his own work but, more importantly, through the contribution of his students.