Historical turns in the historiography of Italians in Queensland

Abstract

This article analyses the historiographical record of Italians in Queensland over 150 years, incorporating developments in Western historical thought. It takes a particular criticism about ethnic histories, as they have developed from Australia’s multicultural context, to explore Italian migration experiences in Queensland. This historiography reveals the dominance of Australia’s need to project cultural homogeneity. While historians have been slow in writing more culturally-inclusive histories, new approaches are emerging, challenging outmoded nationalistic guises. However, the historiography of Queensland’s Italians provides an important reminder about awareness of the influences of the wider political landscape and dominant ideological framework on the writing of history.