AustLit

'Dale Kerwin has transformed his doctoral thesis into an impressive book, with an enticing title and cover. The ‘paths’ and ‘routes’ in the title refer to the vast, complex and well-used network of pathways that covered this country before Europeans arrived. This book looks at the nature of this network, its rich array of associated infrastructure, both cultural and spiritual, and the way in which it was co-opted by Europeans to take control of the Australian continent from the late eighteenth century onwards. As the series editor David Cahill notes in his preface, this is an ‘emic’ study — an ‘insider’s’ view. Thus the author, an Aboriginal scholar, brings to this study not only his voice but also the knowledge and understanding of a number of Aboriginal Elders across the continent. The six chapters are well illustrated with black and white maps, photographs and drawings, for which the front listings contain informative extra notes. There is a solid reference list and a sufficient index, a feature that is a helpful addition to the original thesis. Several of the chapter titles I found to be most intriguing and inviting.' (Introduction)