It is relatively well known that the Palawa community of Tasmania is mostly descended from the Aboriginal Tasmanian women who sealers took to the Bass Strait Islands in the early nineteenth century. But few people know that sealers also took Tasmanian women to Kangaroo Island, establishing a cross-cultural community before the settlement of South Australia. Aboriginal Tasmanian descendants are still living on Kangaroo Island today and this book is their story. Beginning in the sealing days, it tells how they became successful farmers, but how many grew up unaware of their Aboriginal ancestry, and are still struggling to face questions of identity today.
'This is a powerful and passionate exploration of cross-cultural history, and it is also an intriguing detective story. Taylor skilfully interweaves experience and memory, narrative and genealogy, politics and place so that this island saga becomes a history of the national psyche.' - Tom Griffiths, Australian National University
Rebe Taylor was born in London and grew up in Adelaide. She has worked variously as an actor, stable hand, waitress, curator, historian and television presenter since the age of seven. She completed her Masters of Arts at the University of Melbourne in 1992 and her PhD at the Australian National University in 2004. She is an Australian Research Council Fellow at the University of Melbourne and lives with her partner, Peter and their son, Hugo. Rebe no longer dreams of becoming an opera singer. Unearthed is her first book.
