Soundings in modern South Asian history

In recent years the study of modern South Asian history has been extended beyond the range of older accounts of British administration and the growth of the Indian nationalist movement. This book is the first fruit of the close co-operation between a group of young scholars who worked together at the Australian National University in Canberra. A wide range of topics is dealt with, and the nature of the contributions typifies the new attitude to the history of South Asia.

Elements of the megalithic complex in Southeast Asia: an annotated bibliography

Of all the enigmas of archaeology, the megalithic complex is probably the most intriguing; it is regarded today by some scholars as the first world-wide religious movement, by others as a well-defined stage of civilization, while still others deny completely its existence as an identifiable, meaningful cultural entity. Elements of this complex appear to have spread over the entire globe, but Southeast Asia is one of the few regions where they can still be found both as part of living cultures and in the form of prehistoric remains.

Why poor people stay poor : a study of urban bias in world development

The great division in the world today, says Michael Lipton in this outstandingly important book, is not between capitalist and communist, black and white, east and west, or even between rich and poor nations. It exists within the poor countries themselves, and it is the division between city and country. In developing countries especially, wealth is drained from the country, where a little investment would produce big increases in desperately needed food production, and channelled into the cities where people who are often far better off put it to far less productive uses.

The life and adventures of William Buckley : thirty-two years a wanderer amongst the Aborigines of the unexplored country round Port Phillip

In 1803, William Buckley was trans ported to Australia, and soon after landing, escaped with a number of fellow convicts into the unexplored area of what is now Melbourne. Buckley survived and spent the ensuing thirty-two years living with the aborigines of the area, and when discovered in 1835 had become entirely assimilated into aborigine culture. This book gives an account of his experi ences, as well as a nearly unique description of aborigine culture before European contact.

Aboriginal health

From this study of Aboriginal health a depressing picture emerges. The death rate for Aborigines from almost all causes, and the incidence of communicable disease, is much higher than for white Australians. Much of Aboriginal ill-health is directly associated with poverty and poor living conditions - and therefore hygiene - and with malnutrition, particularly among the children. On health grounds alone, the Aborigines are shown to be severely handicapped in almost every aspect relative to white Australians, and to other indigenous minorities such as the Maoris and the American Indians.

Conscription and Australian military capability

Debate about conscription in Australia is usually concerned with morality and equity and has become inseparable from the issue of the Vietnam war. Though the questions of morality and equity deserve attention, they have tended to overshadow important military considerations. This paper focuses on a post-Vietnam situation and, in that context, is concerned with the cost and effectiveness of conscription as a factor in Australian military capability. It examines the supply of manpower to the services generally, and particularly the supply of volunteers.

Climate of Papua New Guinea

This book presents the first comprehensive study of the climate of Papua New Guinea. It is based on an exhaustive analysis and interpretation of the basic meteorological data from the country's extensive recording station network, a network which resulted from the need for accurate weather information for the operation of widespread airstrips in an otherwise inaccessible interior. The data collected made it possible to undertake a climatic survey and analysis for Papua New Guinea which is perhaps unique in its spatial extent and time span for a less developed country.

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