Books & Literature

Book Review: Emigrants and Historians, edited by Philip Payton

A tribute to Emeritus Prof Eric Richards, head of the History dept at Flinders Uni for many years, with contributions from colleagues and former students.

This volume was put together as a tribute to Emeritus Professor Eric Richards, who was head of the History department at Flinders University for many years. There are contributions from colleagues in Ireland and Scotland as well as Australia, including some who were students of Professor Richards.

The essays provide interesting discussions on the often ignored emigration into Ireland, the differing approaches to the British diaspora and a fascinating comparison of biographies of the late Manning Clark – perhaps Australia’s most controversial historian. The writers also discuss how theoretical concepts and approaches to emigration history have waxed and waned in popularity over the years.

In his essay, Emigrants and Historians, Eric Roberts argues that, while the direct experience of the emigrants themselves, coming from family papers or letters, and the recollections collected through oral history ‘are potentially the finest documentation of the social psychology of emigration…individual testimony is often unrepresentative and highly selective’ (pages 133-4). He notes this is especially true when historians seek to drill down to the motivations for moving half way around the world, as did 52 million people leaving Europe for New Worlds in the 19th century.

I especially enjoyed Doug Munro’s contribution, How illuminating it has been: Matthews and McKenna and their biographies of Manning Clark, which put me in mind of those exam questions which began ‘Compare and contrast…’. The authors approach their subject from different disciplines – McKenna an historian and Matthews from English Literature. Of course, any biography ‘is not so much a version of events but an arrangement of events’ (italics in original, page 104).

Themes pursued in both biographies include: the self-referential nature of Clark’s work, even to the extent of factual inaccuracy to accommodate Clark’s preoccupations; the ‘image’ he constructed for himself – the Akubra hat, boots walking stick and beard; and his desire to be remembered resulting in a huge archive which occupies over 30 metres of space in the National Library. Surprisingly for someone who wanted to be remembered in a positive light, Clark left much unflattering evidence of his shameful self-promotion; his extreme reaction to criticism and disparaging comments on other historians’ work; his infidelities; and his appalling treatment of his wife Dymphna. I’m inspired to visit my local library and read more about Manning Clark.

As an emigrant and a student of history myself, I enjoyed reading about why people left their home, family and country to make a life in a new country they barely knew and the interesting and varied historical concepts and theories of emigration research, especially the different ways the British diaspora has been approached.

Reviewed by Jan Kershaw

Rating out of 10:  7

Released by: Wakefield Press
Release Date: February 2017
RRP: $29.95 paperback

*Top photo sourced from Pinterest and is not associated with this book

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