History matters: The politics of grief and injury in Australian history

Abstract

This article argues for the need to move beyond certain conventional narratives of Australian history. As a way of reconfiguring this narrative, it is suggested that historians need to give a fuller account of the place of grief, trauma and loss in Australian histories. This is important for two reasons. First, memories of these experiences are political and highlight the oppression by institutions and government of psychic life along the axes of class, gender, race and sexuality. Second, a public expression of trauma emphasises the politicisation of emotional life and points to the crucial role of the 'personal' in progressive politics.