Talk:Roderick Flanagan

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Hi Maustrauser, I notice in the article on Sir Henry Parkes a reference to him owning"several" newspapers including "The Empire", "The People's Advocate" and " The New South Wales Vindicator". I notice that this information appears to come from a reference to Roderick Flannagan which you have compiled. Being one of his great great grandchildren, I have done considerable reading and research on Henry. I read with interest you reference to him owning several newspapers. I am of course aware of the Empire but had not read or come across any prior reference to him owning the "The People's Advocate" and " The New South Wales Vindicator". Would you be kind enough to point me towards your references so that I can research this further. Thanks Henry* 03:06, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] 'earliest unbiased account...'?

Re the para:

In 1988, to commemorate the bicentennial of European settlement of Australia, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee of the Queensland Bicentennial Council reprinted "Aborigines in Australia", saying that reprinting "enables the earliest unbiased account of the Australian Aborigines to be re-introduced to the people of modern Australia."

I find this an odd claim as there are earlier works. Was this statement really made? Dougg 01:43, 4 April 2006 (UTC)

That's what it says in my copy! Maustrauser 13:47, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

Well, pretty strange as it's clearly not the earliest. Curr's mammoth 'The Australian Race' was published two years before, in 1886. And there were works that fit the description earlier than that. Sad (and ironic) to see such lack of knowledge in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee of the Queensland Bicentennial Council. How about I change '...saying that reprinting...' to '...claiming that reprinting...'? Dougg 03:27, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. It was Don Watson who wrote that statement. I wonder if his view comes about from the word 'unbiased.' Perhaps he considers the earlier works biased Cheers Henry Maustrauser 03:34, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

Well, I've had a look at a copy--the original, not the reprint, so it didn't have the statement by Don Watson. It looks reasonably typical of its time, so I can't see why Don Watson thought so highly of it. I know he did a PhD in history, but I'm not sure what his specialty was (unfortunately his Wikipedia entry doesn't say). I'll go ahead and make the change I mentioned above. Dougg 11:07, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

I think that is a more accurate statement. You have a genuine copy and not the reprint? Lucky chap. Maustrauser 11:31, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

No, unfortunately I'm not rich enough to afford the original! I had a look at a copy at AIATSIS. Dougg 00:19, 28 April 2006 (UTC)