‘How’s this for a beginning?’: the tricky work of writing the story of Australian history

Submitted by Paul Daley on Sun, 13/02/2022 - 6:00am

Anna Clark set out to write the history of Australian history. In grappling with the past, she faced up to the giants in her own family

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Anna Clark took seven years to write her latest book, Making Australian History, but it seems a wonder it didn’t take her twice as long. During her many years of research, the 43-year-old celebrated author and historian wasn’t at all sure what her opening chapter ought to be.

Perhaps that’s not surprising when you consider the almost limitless scope of the ambitious challenge she set herself: to write what is, effectively, a history of Australian history.