EURI:-KA SfRI:-ET & CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Described as 'the most Special book Offer successful study of language ever published', this new THE CAMBRIDGE edition raises all the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF questions about the language that is rapidly LANGUAGE becoming the global lingua fra nca, and SECOND EDITION answers more than its fair share of them. ,'STAL Thanks to Cambridge University Press, Eureka Street has 8 copies to give away, each worth $39.95. Just send an envelope marked 'Eureka Street September Book Offer', to PO Box 553, Richmond, VIC, 3121. QU's first campus opened in 1967 in Rockhampton, Australia's southernmost t ropical city, 30 minutes from the Capricorn coast and Keppel islands. Today we are building Chi-tech campuses in the rapidly growing industrial and tourist cities of Bundaberg, Emerald, Gladstone and Mackay, with generous support from all our host communities. CQU also has boutique international campuses in the heart of Sydney and Melbourne, with Brisbane opening in 1998. ueensland's central region is our heartland but our 11 500 students come from every Australian State and Territory, and over 40 overseas countries. We aim to instil the Qvalues of truth, accuracy, honesty, civility, and courage. Our graduate employment rate 1s now one of Australia's highest. We are earning a growing reputation for original scholarship and research, mostly in partnership with local business and industry. CQU's distance education centre is about to be transformed into a world class facility. niversity status has enabled a rapid expansion over the last six years. However thanks should go to all who have supported CQU and our ancestor institutions over the past U30 years. If you think our future could become part of your future, we would be delighted to send you information about home and on-campus study opportunities, wherever you are. Just ring 079 30 9000. Professor Lauchlan Chipman Vice-Chancellor and President ~ Central Queensland ~~UNIVERSITY Celebrating 30Years 1967-1997 Where Students Come First • Rockhampton • Bundaberg • Emerald • Gladstone • Mackay .. vc'lnf'•v • Melbourne and four overseas locations Volume 7 Number 7 September 1997 A magazin e of public affairs, the arts and theology 'Given that in the 19th century, science was overwhelmingly the preserve of men, what led Amalie Dietrich to comb Birri Gubba country, CoNTENTS taking the bones of their ancestral dead from 4 34 hollow trees and burial COMMENT THE BODY AND SOUL SNATCHERS Paul Turnbull tells the curious tale of platforms! In 1990 the 7 19th century scientist, Amalie Dietrich, editors of the Bulletin CAPITAL LETTER and her tragic intersections with Australian Aboriginal culture. were inclined to answer 8 that question by drawing LETTERS 40 a blunt parallel between BOOKS 14 Anthony Reid reviews Stephen Fitzgerald's Dietrich and those THE MONTH'S TRAFFIC Is Australia an Asian Country~ ; JohnS. Levi women who later surveys Ninian Smart's Dimensions of the 20 Sacred-An Anatomy of the World's Beliefs willingly participated THE LAST POST (p42}; Michael McGirr romps through Peter in Nazi genocide.' Gary Bryson, who was in Hong Kong Carey's Tack Maggs (p43). for that handover, muses over -Paul Turnbull retreat British-colonial style. 46 See 'The body and soul THE ROAR OF THE CASH REGISTERS snatchers', p34. 23 Does the bottom line dictate the repertoire? SUMMA THEOLOGIAE Geoffrey Milne reports on the funding of Australia's flagship state theatre companies. 24 Cover: The passport saga of a THE BARWICK JUDGMENT 48 Bhutanese refugee. Jack Waterford on Sir Garfield Barwick. FLASH IN THE PAN Back cover: Children playing in Reviews of the films The Van; Au Petit their refugee home away from home. Photographs by Mathias Heng 26 Margu ery; Addicted To Love; Fever Pitch; PNG ELECTION DEBRIEFING Brassed Off; Anna Karenina. Graphics pp5, 16, 20-22, 46 by James Griffin reports on complexities, Siobhan Jackson. corruption and victories. 50 Cartoons pp8, 14 by Dea n Moore. WATCHING BRIEF Photograph p19, 41 by Bill Thomas. Graphic p24 by Li z Dixon. 27 Photographs pp29-33 by Mathias ARCHIMEDES 51 Hen g. SPECIFIC LEVITY Eureka Street magazine 29 jesuit Publications OUT OF THEIR PLACE PO Box 553 Jon Greenaway reports on the strange case Richmond VIC 3 121 Tel (03) 9427 73 11 of the world's most forgotten refugees. Fax (03) 9428 4450 Photographs by Mathias H eng. V o LUMe 7 NuMBER 7 • EUREKA STREET 3 CoMMENT A magazine of public affairs, the arts F RANK BRENNAN and theology Publisher Michael Kelly SJ A certain justice Editor Morag Fraser Consulting editor Michael McGirr SJ I N 1993, T>" rocme>AN' on! y j u « got home fnnn c, nhem in time for Christmas. Paul Keating kept them in so that his Production editor 127-page Native Title Act could be passed. Christmas 1997 Lynda McCaffery will be a repeat performance now that John Howard has produced 264 pages of amendm ents in the name of Production assistants: workability and simplicity. The politics is even more complex Paul Fyfe SJ, Juliette Hughes, than the law. The Howard government wants to wind back Chris Jenkins SJ, Siobhan Jackson, Scott Howard, Genevieve Wallace native title as far as the Senate, the High Court and the Constitution will permit. As for the Senate, that will depend Contributing editors on the ALP because the minor parties are happy to maintain Adelaide: Greg O'Kelly SJ a full-blooded recognition of native title. Perth: Dean Moore During the winter recess, John H erron flew the globe Sydney: Edmund Campion, Gerard Windsor assuring the international community that the government's plan was 'based on the non-extinguishment of native title South East Asian correspondent on pastoral leases'. He wanted to stress that the Jon Greenaway proposed legislation 'does not extinguish native title on pastoral leases.' Jesuit Ecli to rial Board If only this were so. Andrew Bullen SJ, Peter L'Estrange SJ It must be conceded that the literalist Andrew Hamilton SJ Howard ministers are not proposing to extinguish Peter Steele Sl, Bill Uren SJ native title themselves. They are simply propos­ Business manager: Sylvana Scannapiego ing to legislate that States could do it in a racially discrimi­ Advertising representative: Ken Head natory way and the Commonwealth would pay 75 per cent Patrons of the bill. The defence runs, 'We're not doing it. We're just Eureka Street gratefully acknowledges the turning a blind eye and paying them to do it.' It is called support of Colin and Angela Carter; the federalism. trustees of the estate of Miss M. Condon; They are proposing to allow states to extinguish native Denis Cullity AO; W.P. & M.W. Gurry; title on pastoral leases so that pastoralists may be given Geoff Hill and Janine Perrett; upgraded freehold title. When Pat Dodson took exception to the Roche family. this at the Australian Reconciliation Convention in May, the Prime Minister lost his temper and shouted, 'I, in the Eureka Street magazine, ISS N 1036- 1758, name of truth and in the name of a frank discussion of these Australia Post Print Post approved issues have to repudiate the claim that my ten point plan pp3491 8 1/003 14 involves a massive handout of freehold title at taxpayer is published ten times a year expense. That is an absolute myth. It is absolutely contrary by Eureka Street Magazine Pty Ltd, to the facts and I absolutely repudiate it.' 300 Victoria Street, Richmond, Victoria 3121 When Malcolm Fraser urged the government to rub out Tel: 03 9427 73 11 Fax: 03 9428 4450 this part of the proposed legislation, Senator Nick Minchin e-mail: [email protected] replied that Fraser did not understand the measure. Fraser, Responsibility for editorial content is accepted by like Ruth Cracknell and many other Australians, understands Michael Kelly, 300 Victoria Street, Richmond. it all too well. Howard wants the Commonwealth Parliament Printed by Doran Printing, to roll back the operation of the Racial Discrimination Act 46 Industrial Drive, Braes ide VIC 3195. so that Rob Borbidge would be free to act in a racially © Jesuit Publications 1997. Unsolicited manuscripts, including poetry and discriminatory way, wiping out proven native title rights, fi ction, will be returned only if accompanied by a not for a public purpose but for the convenience of a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Requests for pastoralist with a lease on native title land. The city taxpayers permission to reprint material from the magazine would be left to pick up the tab. should be addressed in writing to: Minchin argues that continued Commonwealth The editor, Eurek a Street ma azinc, insistence that States not be permitted to act in this racially PO Box 553, Richmond VIC 3 121. discriminatory way 'would represent a massive intrusion by the Commonwealth into the land management responsibilities of State Governments.' For their part, the 4 EUREKA STREET • S EPTEMBER 1997 National Farmers Federation says they have never sought this given automatic rights of access to pastoral leases and traditional upgrade of titles. They distinguish them selves from the Queens­ usage rights including hunting, fishing, camping and ceremony land National Party, which would like to extinguish native title but not within one kilom etre of a homestead or improvem ents completely on pastoral leases. without permission. Pastoralists can be guaranteed the right to There is no w ay the Senate will agree to the fr eehold engage in their activities subject only to the Aboriginal rights upgrade option. The government will leave the proposal in the of access and traditional use. There should be no extinguishment bill so that its withdrawal can be a Senate bargaining chip. Also, of native title.