 New England Review PO Box U 241 University of New England NSW 2351 Australia ISSN 1037-7999 $6 Subscription: 2 issues $10 email New England Review Before commenting on this review please read the FAQ page Home page Notes for publishers Want to be a reviewer? Anthologies. Books. Audio. Magazines. Software. Video. Artefacts. Web design by Gerald England This page last updated: 11th August 2004. |
New England Review #17 | |
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The format of the NER is that of a 20pp. tabloid newspaper, so there is plenty of room for short stories, articles, poems and reviews in very readable type, as well as a few adverts. However, this is a special issue on New Writing so it may not be typical. Short stories predominate — BUTTERFLY by Linda Bell, A TASTE OF YOGHURT by Anne Harrison, A TRIP TO THE BEACH by Jacki Owen and two or three more. Of the articles, the most interesting was SMALLPOX 1789 AND THE FALSIFICATION OF ABORIGINAL HISTORY by Chris Warren, discussing the pros and cons of the various writings of Australian historians regarding theories of the transmission of the disease and its outbreak in 1789, killing hundreds of aborigines. He believes that overland transmission is unlikely but that it was likely that smallpox material was carried out from England to Australia by the First Fleet, when it may have been spread to aborigines surreptitiously through deliberately infected blankets or clothing in line with British colonial military practice of that era.WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE? by Don McMichael informs the reader of current environment policy and back history. The long article is not easy to assimilate by an outsider and the ins and outs of Australian politics, committees &c serve up rather long-winded and turgid fare for a casual reader which would have better been summarised in a foregoing abstract. Points raised include protection of the Great Barrier Reef, use of unleaded petrol, safeguard of parks and nature reserves. His is a voice to be listened to as a biologist who was appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth Environment Department, Director of the National Museum of Australia, became an environment consultant, and is now studying for a Law degree. He concludes that much has been achieved since the establishment of the Department of Environment and Conservation under the Whitlam Government in 1972, although there is a long way still to go. | ||
| reviewer: Eric Ratcliffe. |