Why do you think Australia is known as a multi-cultural society?

Within such a framework, the idea of multiculturalism and within it of white ‘Reconciliation’ with the Indigenous peoples of Australia are seen as exercises directed towards either conveniently putting a history of dispossession aside through gestures that are for appearances only or attempting to adopt an Indigenous past for Australia as it moves slowly towards becoming a republic.

Equally a problem is the inclusion of Aboriginal writing and, diasporic writing in literary histories of Australia or Australian literary studies programmes for the sake of appearance: That said, their token inclusion &is allowed hitherto silenced voices to be heard and is eventually allowing those voices to question and renegotiate the very nature of their inclusion.