Skye Krichauff, A Journey through Narungga History.

Skye Krichauff, A Journey through Narungga History, Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 2011, xi + 203 pages; ISBN 978 1 86254 910 4.

The latest in what might be called a new genre of Aboriginal literary history recreates the complex and diverse relations between the Narungga people of South Australia's Yorke Peninsula and the Europeans who settled there in the 19th century. Since 2004 Skye Krichauff has been working with the Narungga Aboriginal Progress Association as a history researcher. She has built this book from an array of historical sources, ranging from Matthew Flinders' 1802 log book to oral histories collected in the 1960s. Stories told by descendants of both groups about the colonial past are another feature of the Journey. The book challenges stereotypes of Aboriginal passivity, aggression and victimisation and instead portrays relations between Narungga and Europeans as both creative and complex. Among figures resurrected from the archives are Melaityappa (shot by Governor Hindmarsh's nephew), native constable and interpreter Jim Crack, and esteemed Narungga leader King Tommy. The book is beautifully produced and includes more than 40 illustrations, such as photographs of traditional Aboriginal weapons, 19th century paintings and 20th century photographs. For those unfamiliar with this part of South Australia, there are several helpful maps.

Anne-Maree Whitaker

Book Review Editor