Pathfinders: A History of Aboriginal Trackers in NSW

- Blurb -

Thereare few Aboriginal icons in white Australian history. From the explorer to thepioneer, the swagman to the drover's wife, Europeans predominate. Perhaps theonly exception is the redoubtable tracker who, with skills passed down by generationafter generation for over 65,000 years, read the signs and traced the movementof people across the land.Thesaviour of many and cursed by the wayward, trackers live in the collectivememory as one of the few examples where Aboriginal people's skills were soughtafter in colonial society. In NSW alone, thousands of Aboriginal men and asmaller number of women toiled for the authorities post-1862, tracking the lostand confused, seeking out the thieves and their ill-gotten booty and bringingcriminals to justice. Moreoften than not the role of tracker went unacknowledged. Little about thecomplexity and diversity of their work is known, how it grew out of traditionalsociety and was sustained by the vast family networks of Aboriginal families thatendure to this day. Pathfinders brings the work of trackers to theforefront of NSW law enforcement history, ensuring their contribution isproperly acknowledged.'The word tracker conjures images ofthe legendary Aboriginal bush experts responsible for bringing criminals tojustice and finding people lost in the wild. Michael Bennett's new book is avery welcome addition. The book charts an important though largely overlookedarea of the country's history. Aboriginal trackers hold a mythical yet obscurepresence in the history of the continent. Bennett weaves back into the nation'shistorical narrative these Aboriginal heroes and heroines.' - Professor JohnMaynard