The representation of Aborigines in the popular Australian magazine Walkabout has attracted the attention of a small number of scholars. For the most part their analyses draw a distinction between the portrayals of primitive natives and those of the emergent modernising Australian nation. It is argued that Aborigines appear as debased, as noble savages, or as bearers of an idealised and imagined traditional culture. These representational strategies are evident in both photographs and text in Walkabout. Whilst not necessarily disagreeing with these critiques, more nuanced readings of Aboriginal photographic representation in Walkabout are possible. This article seeks to reveal the potential for a more diverse and complex understanding of the images appearing throughout the 1930s.
History
Publication title
Journal of Australian Studies
Volume
33
Article number
1
Number
1
Pagination
19-35
ISSN
1444-3058
Publication status
Published
Rights statement
The definitive version is available online at http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content