Row over ‘rewriting’ history
Print Edition
LANGUAGE guidelines that advise students to describe British explorer James Cook’s arrival in Sydney as an “invasion” rather than a “settlement” were defended by an Australian university, denying it was rewriting history to be politically correct.
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Indigenous Terminology guide says that Australia was “invaded, occupied and colonized.”
“Describing the arrival of the Europeans as a ‘settlement’ attempts to view Australian history from the shores of England rather than the shores of Australia,” the guide says. But UNSW rejected the idea that it was dictating what language could be used by students. “The guide does not mandate what language can be used,” it said in a statement, adding that it offered a range of examples of more and less appropriate language.
“For example the guide suggests referring to Captain Cook as the first Englishman to map the continent’s East Coast is ‘more appropriate’ than referring to his “discovery” of Australia.”
The guide notes that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were in Australia long before Captain Cook arrived, making it impossible for him to “discover” the country.
“Most Aboriginal people find the use of the word ‘discovery’ offensive,” it added.
The guide likewise says it is more appropriate to describe the arrival of British ships in Australia using terms other than “settlement.”
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