The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
The Times Real Estate

.

I'm a historian but Tony Birch's poetry opened my eyes to confronting truths about the past

  • Written by Anna Clark, Australian Research Council Future Fellow in Public History, University of Technology Sydney
I'm a historian but Tony Birch's poetry opened my eyes to confronting truths about the past

In this series, writers nominate a book that changed their life – or at least their thinking.

Sixty years ago, when the historian E.H. Carr famously asked What is History?[1], he determined the answer to be a constant dialogue between the present and the past. The past is “what happened”, he explained. “History” is the process of its analysis and inquiry.

The History discipline of Carr’s era is readily recognisable today. The subject we study at school and university is still framed by rules of research and evidence, as well the critical examination of sources and the teaching of skills.

But it has been increasingly pushed and prodded since the 1960s by new methods of interpretation and analysis. These approaches prompted vital historical revisions and asked important questions of the discipline.

If public archives selectively prioritised the histories of leading public figures, as feminist, working class, migrant and Indigenous historians insist, then whose perspectives might have been excluded? Whose voices have we failed to listen to?

Tony Birch pictured in 2012. UQP

They’re questions that resurfaced for me when I first read Tony Birch’s collection of poetry, Broken Teeth[2], in 2016. I had been working on a history of Australian History, which sought to tell the various ways Australia’s national story had been imagined. But in contemplating Birch’s work, I was forced to reimagine the scope of the project.

To me, his poetry felt as powerful as any of the history books I had been studying, not only with its commentary on “what happened”, but as a statement on historical practice.

Read more: The book that changed me: how H.H. Finlayson’s The Red Centre helped me see country – and what we have done to it[3]

Deeply affecting

Broken Teeth includes quiet, sometimes haunting pieces about family, love, and place. We see the texture — sometimes sparse, sometimes richly imagined — of Melbourne, including slices of family life, Merri creek, and chroming kids. It also covers the territory of History, perhaps unsurprising given Birch’s training as a historian at Melbourne University.

There’s a touching tribute to the Japanese historian, Minoru Hokari[4], who Birch gently farewells in verse, as well as a cool depiction of an anatomy museum that echoes Wiradjuri writer Jeanine Leane’s account of colonial archive-keeping in Cardboard Incarceration[5].

Other pieces relate the history of the Wurundjuri leader, William Barak[6], who led the Coranderrk mission[7] in the late 19th century and fought for Aboriginal recognition.

But it’s the poem Footnote to a History War (archive box no. 2) that shakes me out of my disciplinary comfort zone. Based on letters between Aboriginal people who were living on reserves and missions and the Victorian government agencies which oversaw them, the “conversation” that correspondence produces is deeply affecting.

Two verses cited here give a sense of what Birch describes as the poem’s “call and response structure” between “the voice of the archive” and “the voice of Aboriginal people”:

iv

my colour debars memy child is dead& I am lost

we are broken into partsour home left in the wind& it grows colder here

my wife is aborigineI am half casteand I am, Sir, dutifully yours

I await your response

v

he wears a suit [issue no. 6]hat [issue no. 7] & possessesone pair of blankets

she has on loanone mullet net &two perch nets

their children are gone:one [toxaemia]one [pneumonia]

one [ditto]

Over ten parts, Birch’s Aboriginal correspondents and their institutional “protectors” paint a harrowing picture of government control and Indigenous desperation. These were lives under constant surveillance and regulation[8] for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. The fact they were assiduously recorded in official archives[9], but largely absent from Australian History during the same period, is an example of the discipline’s striking hypocrisy.

I can’t help but wonder how I catalogue this piece of work? Is this “poem” also a work of “History”? Can I add it to my canon of Australian historiography? In the end, I do just that.

‘Licking at the edges’

Part elegiac tribute, part stunning critique, Footnote to a History War is an exploration of “the past”, as well as how that past has been archived, parsed, and controlled by History’s gatekeepers.

Goodreads While its assemblage is creative, taking excerpts and placing them side by side to construct mood, form and shape in a creative process, the poem was built directly out of the archive and its emotion is not confected. “A great poem cuts through the crap”, Birch writes in the preface to Broken Teeth. That’s exactly what I get from Footnote to a History War. Is it any wonder that the Gomeroi poet and legal scholar Alison Whittaker[10] describes Aboriginal poetry as potent and powerful for the way it “licks at the edges of the colonisers’ language”? As poetry, Footnote to a History War is both poignant and pointed. As a form of History, moreover, it leads us to confronting truths about the past, and the discipline itself. Extract from Footnote to a History War (archive box no. 2) appears courtesy of the author. References^ What is History? (www.google.com.au)^ Broken Teeth (corditebooks.org.au)^ The book that changed me: how H.H. Finlayson’s The Red Centre helped me see country – and what we have done to it (theconversation.com)^ Minoru Hokari (oa.anu.edu.au)^ Cardboard Incarceration (www.australianbookreview.com.au)^ William Barak (www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au)^ Coranderrk mission (www.nma.gov.au)^ surveillance and regulation (www.foundingdocs.gov.au)^ recorded in official archives (prov.vic.gov.au)^ Alison Whittaker (www.uqp.com.au)

Read more https://theconversation.com/the-book-that-changed-me-im-a-historian-but-tony-birchs-poetry-opened-my-eyes-to-confronting-truths-about-the-past-177320

The Times Features

Why You Need an Expert Electrician for Your Business’s Electrical Upgrades and Repairs

When it comes to maintaining and upgrading your business’s electrical systems, it’s essential to call in a professional. Electrical work in any commercial setting requires the ex...

Why Is It Crucial to Have a Building Inspection Done Before Buying a New Home?

Purchasing a new property is a big financial decision that can impact your future for years. Whether you are a first-time buyer or an investor, good or bad, it is essential to en...

Online Application for Sick Leave Certificate: Understanding When and How to Secure One

A sick leave certificate is an official document issued by a healthcare professional to verify an individual's inability to attend work due to illness. It typically includes the ...

A No-Fuss Guide to an Effective Beauty Routine

Taking care of the skin and appearance need not be complicated; it need not even consume your hours of time. Smart and simple approaches can give one that glow and fresh look witho...

Safe & Effective Tattoo Removal in Auckland – What You Need to Know

If you're looking for tattoo removal in Auckland, modern laser technology offers the safest and most effective way to fade or completely remove unwanted ink. Whether it's an outd...

Fleece-Lined Tights vs. Regular Tights: What’s the Difference?

When temperatures drop, choosing the right pair of tights can make a significant difference in comfort, warmth, and durability. Whether you wear tights for fashion, work, or outdoo...

Times Magazine

The Ultimate Guide to Apple Watch Faces & Trending Wallpapers

In today’s digital world, personalization is everything. Your smartwatch isn’t just a timepiece—it’s an extension of your style. Thanks to innovative third-party developers, customizing your Apple Watch has reached new heights with stunning designs...

The Power of Digital Signage in Modern Marketing

In a fast-paced digital world, businesses must find innovative ways to capture consumer attention. Digital signage has emerged as a powerful solution, offering dynamic and engaging content that attracts and retains customers. From retail stores to ...

Why Cloud Computing Is the Future of IT Infrastructure for Enterprises

Globally, cloud computing is changing the way business organizations manage their IT infrastructure. It offers cheap, flexible and scalable solutions. Cloud technologies are applied in organizations to facilitate procedures and optimize operation...

First Nations Writers Festival

The First Nations Writers Festival (FNWF) is back for its highly anticipated 2025 edition, continuing its mission to celebrate the voices, cultures and traditions of First Nations communities through literature, art and storytelling. Set to take ...

Improving Website Performance with a Cloud VPS

Websites represent the new mantra of success. One slow website may make escape for visitors along with income too. Therefore it's an extra offer to businesses seeking better performance with more scalability and, thus represents an added attracti...

Why You Should Choose Digital Printing for Your Next Project

In the rapidly evolving world of print media, digital printing has emerged as a cornerstone technology that revolutionises how businesses and creative professionals produce printed materials. Offering unparalleled flexibility, speed, and quality, d...

LayBy Shopping