Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture
Bruce Pascoe

'Dark Emu' argues for a reconsideration of the 'hunter-gatherer' tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians and attempts to rebut the colonial myths that have worked to justify dispossession.

Accomplished author Bruce Pascoe provides compelling evidence from the diaries of early explorers that suggests that systems of food production and land management have been blatantly understated in modern retellings of early Aboriginal history, and that a new look at Australia's past is required.

Praise for Dark Emu

“[Pascoe’s] arguments about the reality of Aboriginal agriculture, acquaculture, food storage and preservation are not new, but hitherto they have been buried in scientific papers, less accessible writings, or not pursued in such a sustained manner.  He has done a great service by bringing this material to students and general readers, and in such a lively and engaging fashion…I heartily recommend this book to teachers of Aboriginal studies.” – Richard Broome, Emeritus Professor, History, La Trobe University

"Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what Australia once was, or what it might yet be if we heed the lessons of long and sophisticated human occupation." – NSW Premier's Literacy Awards Judging Panel

"This is the most important book on Australia and should be read by every Australian." – Marcia Langton, The Australian 

"The truth-telling must go on." - Stephen Fitzpatrick, The Australian

"A vital piece of Australian history and should be mandatory in the national and global curriculum." – Tyrone Ormsby, Creative Director, City Standard

"I’m grateful for a book that has so enlivened the engagement of Australians with their country’s history… In spite of half a century of eloquent activism and scholarship, most Australians still grossly underestimate the sophistication of Indigenous culture, technology and governance. The popular embrace of Pascoe’s work suggests that many are keen to learn." – Tom Griffiths, Emeritus Professor of History at the Australian National University

"[T]his is an important book that advances a powerful argument for re-evaluating the sophistication of Aboriginal peoples’ economic and socio-political livelihoods, and calls for Australia to embrace the complexity, sophistication and innovative skills of Indigenous people into its concept of itself as a nation." – Dr Michael Davis, Aboriginal History, December 2014, ANU

About the Author:
Bruce Pascoe has published widely in both adult and young adult literature. He has won numerous awards, including the Children’s Book Council of Australia Eve Pownall Award for 'Young Dark Emu', New South Wales Premier’s Book of the Year Award in 2016 for 'Dark Emu' and the Prime Minister’s Literature Award for Young Adult fiction for 'Fog a Dox' in 2013. In 2018 Bruce was awarded the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature. He has worked as a teacher, farmer, fisherman, barman, fencing contractor, lecturer, Aboriginal language researcher, archaeological site worker and editor. Bruce is a Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man, and currently lives on his farm in Gippsland, Victoria.

Dimensions: H 21cm x W 13.5cm

ISBN: 9781921248016

Publisher: Magabala Books

Publication Date: 2014

Format: Paperback

Number of Pages: 278