A Straight-Out Man: F W Albrecht and Central Australian Aborigines by Barbara Henson

Book Description

Secondhand. Very good condition. Minor edgewear.

A subtle and compelling biography of F W Albrecht, the longest-serving superintendent of central Australia's oldest mission, Hermannsburg.

Central Australia and its oldest mission, Hermannsburg, have long been a potent arena for the encounter between Australia's indigenous people and the European newcomers. The life of Hermannsburg's longest-serving superintendent, F W Albrecht, vividly details much of that encounter, beginning in the 1920s when Aborigines were thought to be a dying race, with governments and the public largely indifferent to their fate.

Aboriginal recollections punctuate the story, providing a rare glimpse into Aboriginal thoughts and feelings for Albrecht himself and the events surrounding them. And at the centre is a man of great personal commitment, struggling with the painful unlearning of his own cultural certainties. This is subtle and compelling storytelling. (publishers blurb)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers, please note that this book may contain descriptions and/or images of people who have passed away.