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R. v. Tibbs (1824): a case of mistaken identity

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 08:23 authored by Jacqueline FoxJacqueline Fox
Since the 1830s, historians have agreed that no European faced criminal prosecution for offences against the Indigenous people of Van Diemen's Land in the colony's Supreme Court. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, however, a counter-narrative has emerged, in which William Tibbs' conviction for the manslaughter of a 'black man' is read as a significant example of disinterested settler–indigenous legal relations. By challenging the underlying assumption of this reading – that 'black' is synonymous with Aboriginal – this article tests recent claims about the historical significance of Tibbs' case.

History

Publication title

History Australia

Volume

8

Pagination

21-41

ISSN

1449-0854

Department/School

School of Humanities

Publisher

Monash University E-Press

Place of publication

Melbourne

Rights statement

Copyright 2011 Monash University Publishing

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in history, heritage and archaeology

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