Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines

Book excerpt: Collection of traditional Aboriginal stories from South Australia, written David Uniapon, an early Aboriginal activist, scientist, writer and preacher, who appears on the Australian $50 note. The stories originally appeared in 'Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals', but were attributed to W. Ramsay Smith, FRS, anthropologist and Chief Medical Officer of South Australia. For this edition the stories have been re-edited, with the cooperation of Uniapon's descendants, and for the first time appear as the work of their true author. The editors contribute a substantial introduction that gives the historical and cultural context of Uniapon's work, and the story of this publication. Includes photos, glossary and bibliography. Muecke is Professor of Cultural Studies in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney. Previous works include 'Reading the Country' and 'Paperbark: A collection of Black Australian writing'. Shoemaker is Dean of Arts at the Australian National University. Previous works include 'Black Words, White Page' and 'Mudrooroo: A critical study'.