Seminar: Black Armband History

Author: Alan Mayne, University of Melbourne <a.mayne@history.unimelb.edu.au>
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 1997 14:18:12 +1300

Date Sent: Fri 7 March 1997

The Department of History and the Australian Centre present a panel of speakers including Don Watson, John Cantwell, Tony Birch, and Kevin Donnelly.

Is there a 'black armband' school of history? Or is this just a political nonsense? What sort of history is being peddled in our schools? What are the alternatives? What does this do for the history profession in Ausatralia? And for Australians more generally?

The free public forum will be held in Seminar Room 1 (Gryphon Gallery), School of Graduate Studies (Cnr Grattan and Swanston Sts). Enquiries to the Australian Centre (tel 9344 7235; fax 9347 7731). Parking is available on campus for $2 per car.

Query: Black Arm Band History

Author: Erik Eklund, University of Newcastle <hiece@cc.newcastle.edu.au>
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 18:46:20 +1300

Date Sent: Wed 12 March 1997

In the 1996 Robert Menzies lecture the Prime Minister John Howard said, among other things, that there was a 'need to guard against the re-writing of Australian political history' especially with respect to the reputation of Robert Menzies, but he also spoke of a 'related and broader challenge....that is to ensure that our history as a nation is not written definitively by those who take the view that Australians should apologise for most of it.'

He went on to say:

'This 'black arm band' view of our past reflects a belief that most Australian history since 1788 has been little more than a disgraceful story of imperialism, exploitation, racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination.' [see http://www.nla.gov.au/pmc/pressrel/menzies.htmlfor the full speech and context]

Is it quite fascinating to compare and contrast the mobilisation of history by our current PM and the previous one, Paul Keating. (I wonder who Howard's speechwriter is?)

But my question is: Given the currency of the term 'black arm band' view of history, and the planned seminar at the University of Melbourne on this topic (which unfortunately few of us are in a position to attend), could someone enlighten me as to the origins of this term?

Reply: Black Arm Band History

Author: Kevin Blackburn, School of Arts, Nanyang Technological University
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 13:44:56 +1300

National Institute of Education, Singapore
Date Sent: Wed 12 March 1997

The first reference that I can find to 'The Black Armband View of history is by Blainey in an article 'Goodbye to All That?' in the 'Weekend Australian' 1-2 May 1993, p.16. This was an edited transcript of Blainey's Latham Memorial Lecture, which he delivered in Sydney during that week. He mentioned that what he called the 'Black Armband View' was a rival to the old way Australian history was taught. This old rival way he called the 'Three-Cheers View of History', which 'viewed Australian history as largely a success'.

The opinion that Australian historians today paint an unnecessarily bleak view of the past was put forward as early as December-February 1988-89 when John Hirst referred to a 'Black School' of Australian historians in his 'IPA Review' article, 'The Blackening of Our Past' pp.49-54. He mentioned Penguin's 'A People's History of Australia' as an example of this 'school'.

Both Blainey's and Hirst's articles see Australian historian's reactions to the 1988 bicentennial as crucial in defining this 'school'. Blainey wrote in the 1993 article based upon his John Latham Lecture that 'the black armbands were quietly worn in official circles in 1988, the bicentennial year, and, until late in that year, prime minister Bob Hawke rarely gave a speech that awarded much praise to Australia's history'.

I would argue that Blainey's Latham Lecture and article in the 'Australian' in May 1993 is where the term was coined, although the perception that it reflects has been around for a longer time, and at least dates from the bicentennial.

Gerard Henderson wrote an article for the 'Bulletin' which is similar to Hirst's and Blainey's articles. It was called 'Rewriting Our History', and was published in the January 26/February 2, 1993 issue of the 'Bulletin',pp.26-29. However, Henderson does not use the phrase 'Black Arm Band View', but he is obviously searching for some pithy description of what he sees as the blackening of Australia's past. Instead he uses the ridiculous term 'Pilgerisation'(as in John Pilger's 'A Secret Country'). I would think that if 'Black Arm Band View' was current he would have used it.

So it appears that Blainey coined the term. He does actually say it is his description.

However, I would like to hear from other uses of the description, especially if they are earlier than Blainey's May 1993 article.

I would certainly like to hear reports about the seminar on the topic at Melbourne University. Perhaps there can be a summary of the seminar for the discussion list?

Reply: Black Arm Band History

Author: Sean Brawley, School of History, The University of New South Wales
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 13:47:28 +1300

Date Sent: Thurs 13 March 1997

I don't have the reference at hand but as far as I know the first use of the term was by Geoffrey Blainey in his 1993 Latham lecture which was published in *Quadrant* in August or September 1993 and was titled something like 'A Balance Sheet of Australian History'. He spoke of the 'Three Cheers' view of Australian history and the 'Black Armband' view. Around the same time Peter Ryan's 'overdue axe' attack on the 'tall poppy' of Manning Clark spoke of Australian history not being as 'black' as Clark had painted it (Ryan 'Manning Clark', *Quadrant*, Sept 1993).

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