Published by Australians for Reconciliation (WA)

Level 2/10 Pier St

Perth WA 6000

Freecall 1800 060 269

WA's Other History - A Short Guide is a brief trip through the tragic, inspiring and recent history of the western third of the continent.

Think again if you believe history is ancient and distant. There are people alive now who can remember when they encountered their first white man.

There are Aboriginal people holding top jobs in Public Service who would have been arrested 40 years ago had they remained in town after dark.

There are many Aboriginal people alive today who had to carry an identity card to prove their citizenship. These were commonly known as "dog licences".

So are those who never knew their parents, who grew away from their culture, when they were taken from their families by police "protectors" and departmental officials and raised in Government Institutions, and trained to be labourers and kitchen hands.

This country has an awesome pre-history which challenges the imagination. It also has a recent social history which came close to eliminating Aboriginal people altogether.

They have survived and we are all enriched as a result. This is a story of change and the great courage and tenacity shown by a people who have made the fastest adaptation in the history of humanity.

Australia is a lucky country because the Aboriginal people who were here first cared enough about this land to ensure its preservation for the generations to come, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal.

This guide is a pointer to the past, a recognition of what has gone before and a celebration of what will be achieved if we work together, recognising and respecting differences in life-styles and values.