About the only thing missing from Haynes’ Great Furphies of Australian History is an explanation of the word ‘furphy,’ but perhaps he presumes his readers are already aware of it. He has subtitled the book as the truth behind the myths, and with the aid of meticulous historical research by himself and others, he demolishes some of this nation’s best-known urban myths.
Australians believe lots of things that aren’t true, which are told and repeated by authoritative figures until they become ‘fact’.
Haynes, who has written 29 books, mostly about Australiana, warns about myths perverting our history and culture, citing as examples the attempted demonisation of James Cook and the beatification of Edward ‘Ned’ Kelly. Despite evidence that Ned Kelly was a murderer, the myth persists that he was a brave rebel. Similarly, there’s a lack of understanding about James Cook; how much control he had, and the politics of the time.
Haynes cites brief examples of furphies such as cricket’s Ashes (actually based on a love story); the naming of the Ghan; Melbourne Cup mythology; and the crossing of the Blue Mountains. He delves into greater detail about the nations making discoveries in the Pacific, before several chapters about James Cook and his navigations; and really ripping into con man and liar, Edward Hargraves. Then there are the words in our modern language with false derivations; before he highlights the true stories of Ned Kelly and Breaker Morant.
Haynes believes that, like rowing a boat, we progress by looking backward while moving forward, with the truth all there in the background of the past, if people would only look for it.
Reviewed by Jennifer Somerville
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Haynes OAM is an Australian writer, entertainer, broadcaster, humorist, songwriter and historian. In 2016 he received a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the performing arts.
The son of British migrants, Haynes was born in Sydney. He sang in a folk trio at Teachers’ College and was a member of various bands while teaching in country towns, in between several periods living in the UK.
While teaching in Inverell, NSW, in the late 1970s, Jim formed the Bandy Bill & Co Bush Band. The band recorded two albums on the Hadley label and had airplay on the ABC radio show Australia All Over. Jim worked weekend shifts on commercial radio station 2NZ, began providing stories and poetry readings for ‘Australia All Over’ and quit teaching to work full-time on that program in 1988.
He embarked on a career as an entertainer, performing at clubs and touring a school show called ‘Singabout Australia’.
Haynes signed a three-record deal with ABC Music and began touring his own show and also touring with other artists like Slim Dusty, Adam Brand, Melinda Schneider, Greg Champion and Beccy Cole. H
Having ‘invented’ the perfect country town of Weelabarabak in the 1980s, Haynes began writing verse about the town and its characters and events.
Haynes’ Aussie Verse column was a weekly feature of the nation’s oldest magazine Australasian Post, until its demise in 2004.
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