INJUSTICE - Hidden in plain sight...
What happened to the globally-beloved kangaroo, koala and other Australian indigenous animals under the beliefs and traditions of colonialism? How did their fate during 200 years of nation building become a fugitive drama of dispossession and disrespect – and what is today’s little known and blood-stained legacy in a world rapidly losing its biodiversity? Documentary journalist Maria Taylor, author of Global warming and climate change: what Australia knew and buried, unveils a cultural history of warfare against Australia’s other indigenous inhabitants. Her investigation exposes David and Goliath battles for the wildlife and nature of Australia – with worldwide echos. Here also are paths to reconciliation and sharing that marry the ecological and the economic. Voices in these pages come from citizen activists, first Australians, scientists and authors, graziers and industry whistleblowers. A lack of respect for the extraordinary land and its inhabitants. We’re belatedly learning of Australia’s ongoing mammalian extinctions, highest rate in the world, and ecosystem collapses. At the same time, a hidden and bloody legacy of colonial practices continues.
Today, 250 years after colonization, the national icons and much other indigenous wildlife are still treated as pest or product – but pathways to showing respect and understanding for the nature of Australia and for sharing with Australia’s unique wildlife exist, and can be actioned right now.
Maria Taylor
Author, Injustice
Published: 31st March 2021
ISBN: 9780645099331
Number Of Pages: 412
Maria Taylor is an investigative journalist and author and a former award-winning documentary film-maker analysing environmental conflicts. She has travelled widely in Australia, observing government decision-making and the rural sector, also editing a national magazine reporting agricultural science. She holds a PhD in science communication. In the past decade she has focused on regional news and wildlife/environmental investigations while publishing The District Bulletin in southern NSW near the national capital.
She writes and reports from homebase in semi-rural country with remnant bushland. Across the years with her human family and some wonderful dogs, she has shared the land with woodland friends – many birds among them. Magpies, currawongs, bronze-wing pigeons, ducks, rosellas and other parrots, lately joined by enquiring sulphur-crested cockatoos, sometimes black cockatoos, gang-gangs and galahs, wrens, thrushes, thornbills, fantails and laughing kookaburras. Noisy friar-birds, tree-creepers, eastern spinebill and more nectar-feeders. Brushtail and ringtail possums share the trees. On ground are grey kangaroos, swamp and red-necked wallabies, blue-tongue, shingleback and smaller lizards, and the recovering (from threat of extinction) rosenberg’s monitor (goanna). Rounding out the native animal ecology, favoured huntsman spiders and a cohort of that family, and many other insects mysteriously returning following drought, to join the ant tribes that never left. All have been inspiration for thinking about the ongoing injustice and the disrespect shown to too many of Australia’s wondrous indigenous animals, our fellow nations on this continent.
