(Other) Fragments of History... [*]

Geoffrey Norman Blainey, AC (born 11 March 1930), is an Australian historian. He is prominent as a conservative political commentator. His works have ranged from sports and local histories to interpreting the motives behind the British settlement of Australia. Blainey was a Professor of Economic History and later the Ernest Scott Professor of History at the University of Melbourne. He held a Chair in Australian Studies at Harvard University.

Blainey has, at times, been a controversial figure too. In the 1980s, he criticised the level of Asian immigration to Australia and the policy of multiculturalism in speeches, articles and a book All for Australia. He has been closely aligned with the former Liberal-National coalition government of John Howard in Australia, with Howard shadowing Blainey's conservative views on some issues, especially the view that Australian history has been hijacked by social liberals. As a result of these stances, Blainey is sometimes associated with right-wing politics.

Blainey's criticism of Asian immigration was widely reported in overseas countries, particularly in Asia and there was a fear, subsequently discounted, that Australia's trading relations with its Asian neighbours would be affected by his comments.

After a group of left-wing students at the University of Melbourne picketed Blainey’s lectures and demonstrated against him, Blainey was forced to cancel the rest of scheduled talks at the university for the rest of 1984 on security grounds. Blainey and his family were also subject to threats of violence, prompting Blainey to remove his name and address from the public telephone book and organise private security for his home. In 1988, Blainey resigned from the University of Melbourne because of the hostility from many of his colleagues following his speech in Warnambool.

Blainey has been an important but low-key contributor to the debate over Australian history since European settlement, often referred to as the History Wars. Blainey coined the term the "Black armband view of history" to refer to those historians, usually leftist, who accused Australians of genocide against Aborigines having previously referred to nationalistic histories as the "three cheers" school.

Blainey's views provoked much debate and controversy, and 24 historians from the University of Melbourne signed a public letter distancing themselves from his views. Many of Blainey's colleagues argued that his views were divisive and would inflame racism in Australia.

Although Blainey's book Triumph of the Nomads was considered to be a scholarly study into the history of Australia's original inhabitants, his opinions opposing High Court decisions in favour of Aboriginal land rights put him in the line of fire and led to accusations of racism.

== Sources: Various ==


N.B.: Note-se bem que a especializacao academica de Blainey e' em Historia, nao em Historia Economica (talvez uma especializacao nesta disciplina o habilitasse a contribuir com um qualquer "corte epistemologico" com o estado do conhecimento actual sobre a natureza e a dimensao do chamado "trafico negreiro"). A circunstancia de ter sido 'Professor de Historia Economica' na Australia deveu-se apenas ao seu trabalho nao academico como escritor freelancer da historia de algumas companhias australianas - o que, podendo ser relevante para a historia economica do seu pais, nao o abaliza suficientemente para escrever uma possivel (?) "Historia Economica do Mundo", o que, de resto, nao fez... Note-se tambem que, depois do seu quase "linchamento academico" em Melbourne, a cadeira que, de algum modo, lhe permitiu salvar as suas credenciais universitarias em Harvard, nao foi nem Historia, nem Historia Economica, mas "Estudos Australianos".

P.S.: Alias, a proposito desta "historia", poderiamos perfeitamente parafrasear certas palavras do autor do texto que a ela se refere, segundo as quais "para se entender bem esta historia, precisamos de saber quem e' que a escreve e porque que o faz"!

Geoffrey Norman Blainey, AC (born 11 March 1930), is an Australian historian. He is prominent as a conservative political commentator. His works have ranged from sports and local histories to interpreting the motives behind the British settlement of Australia. Blainey was a Professor of Economic History and later the Ernest Scott Professor of History at the University of Melbourne. He held a Chair in Australian Studies at Harvard University.

Blainey has, at times, been a controversial figure too. In the 1980s, he criticised the level of Asian immigration to Australia and the policy of multiculturalism in speeches, articles and a book All for Australia. He has been closely aligned with the former Liberal-National coalition government of John Howard in Australia, with Howard shadowing Blainey's conservative views on some issues, especially the view that Australian history has been hijacked by social liberals. As a result of these stances, Blainey is sometimes associated with right-wing politics.

Blainey's criticism of Asian immigration was widely reported in overseas countries, particularly in Asia and there was a fear, subsequently discounted, that Australia's trading relations with its Asian neighbours would be affected by his comments.

After a group of left-wing students at the University of Melbourne picketed Blainey’s lectures and demonstrated against him, Blainey was forced to cancel the rest of scheduled talks at the university for the rest of 1984 on security grounds. Blainey and his family were also subject to threats of violence, prompting Blainey to remove his name and address from the public telephone book and organise private security for his home. In 1988, Blainey resigned from the University of Melbourne because of the hostility from many of his colleagues following his speech in Warnambool.

Blainey has been an important but low-key contributor to the debate over Australian history since European settlement, often referred to as the History Wars. Blainey coined the term the "Black armband view of history" to refer to those historians, usually leftist, who accused Australians of genocide against Aborigines having previously referred to nationalistic histories as the "three cheers" school.

Blainey's views provoked much debate and controversy, and 24 historians from the University of Melbourne signed a public letter distancing themselves from his views. Many of Blainey's colleagues argued that his views were divisive and would inflame racism in Australia.

Although Blainey's book Triumph of the Nomads was considered to be a scholarly study into the history of Australia's original inhabitants, his opinions opposing High Court decisions in favour of Aboriginal land rights put him in the line of fire and led to accusations of racism.

== Sources: Various ==


N.B.: Note-se bem que a especializacao academica de Blainey e' em Historia, nao em Historia Economica (talvez uma especializacao nesta disciplina o habilitasse a contribuir com um qualquer "corte epistemologico" com o estado do conhecimento actual sobre a natureza e a dimensao do chamado "trafico negreiro"). A circunstancia de ter sido 'Professor de Historia Economica' na Australia deveu-se apenas ao seu trabalho nao academico como escritor freelancer da historia de algumas companhias australianas - o que, podendo ser relevante para a historia economica do seu pais, nao o abaliza suficientemente para escrever uma possivel (?) "Historia Economica do Mundo", o que, de resto, nao fez... Note-se tambem que, depois do seu quase "linchamento academico" em Melbourne, a cadeira que, de algum modo, lhe permitiu salvar as suas credenciais universitarias em Harvard, nao foi nem Historia, nem Historia Economica, mas "Estudos Australianos".

P.S.: Alias, a proposito desta "historia", poderiamos perfeitamente parafrasear certas palavras do autor do texto que a ela se refere, segundo as quais "para se entender bem esta historia, precisamos de saber quem e' que a escreve e porque que o faz"!