Justice All Their Own: The Caledon Bay and Woodah Island Killings 1932-1933 by Ted Egan

Book Description

Secondhand. Very good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges. The previous owner has cut the top right of the front page, presumably to remove their name. Dust jacket has light creasing at edges. Body text and binding are still excellent.

As punishment for murder, Aboriginal justice often calls for a ceremonial spear-thrust through the thigh. In Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia, the ceremony is called Makarrta. The white justice system demands imprisonment for life. Which justice should prevail? What is fair? Which is right? When cultures clash, those with greater power seek to impose their values upon people held to be weaker or inferior.

Such a clash happened in the 1930s in Arnhem Land. When insulted by foreigners, then chased by police, local Aborigines reacted violently and killed either people, including a white police constable. Eventually, the Aborigines were persuaded to give themselves up, being assured this was right and proper, and that they would be treated fairly. What followed was an even greater tragedy than the initial murders.

The product of forty years' research, this account of the killings, the protests and the subsequent trials in Darwin in 1934 presents a thorough analysis of the motives and behaviour of the various participants. It shows the disturbing and distressing consequences of imposing the British system of justice on people accustomed to their own predictable, consistent legal system, which itself is the product of a complex culture developed over thousands of years. (book flap)

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