You are correct, onthebeach. Rudd has gone, years ago, and thank goodness.

So why are YOU still so obsessed with him that you bring him up every time someone posts something you don't like? Why are YOU living in the past?

Weird.

Dear otb,

Me, stuck in a time-warp?
On the contrary.

The historian, Henry Reynolds explained the
reasons behind his book, "Why Weren't We Told,"
was due to the fact that:

"Many Australians felt that they had been
poorly served by their teachers and by the nation's
historians. They are angry that they weren't told
the truth about the past and feel they were denied
information, interpretation and understanding."

"It is now possible to explore the past by means of
large numbers of books, articles, films, novels,
songs and paintings. Many voices have filled out
the space once claimed by Stanner's Great Australian
Silence."

"We can know a great deal about the history of Indigenous-
Settler relations. But knowing brings burdens which can
be shirked by those living in ignorance. With knowledge
the question is no longer what we know but what we are
now to do, and that is a much harder matter to deal
with. It will continue to perplex us for many years
to come."

I think any possible amends for the past have long been made, the first big plus was the arrival of European Culture, particularly the concept of money, health care and living in houses, just for starters.

Dear Is Mise,

I wonder how the Irish would feel if their
history would be totally re-written?

I believe you're Irish.

"I think any possible amends for the past have long been made, the first big plus was the arrival of European Culture, particularly the concept of money, health care and living in houses, just for starters."

That would have been fine if Aborigines had been given access to money, health care, and living in houses.

Instead their resource base was destroyed by sheep etc., they were given rations not money, diseases to which they had no resistance, not health care, and shacks not real houses (with the infectious diseases and no health care they would have been better off keeping moving rather than stay in a house).

There were a number of Aborigines who early on went to school, and did well, but they quickly leant that an Aborigine who spoke English, became Christian and adopted European culture, was not welcome among Europeans.

Dear Is Mise,

Here is a link that gives a Summary of Australian
Indigenous Health Facts:

http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/health-facts/summary