This paper aims to take part in the history wars debate, namely acknowledgement of the Frontier Wars, by providing a site analysis of one major state-sanctioned Australian heritage institution, the...Show moreThis paper aims to take part in the history wars debate, namely acknowledgement of the Frontier Wars, by providing a site analysis of one major state-sanctioned Australian heritage institution, the Australian War Memorial, and one Aboriginal massacre site, that of the Pinjarra Massacre. Comparing and contrasting the two, it reveals and exemplifies the heritage and identity politics occurring in Australia today. It will argue that Australian heritage institutions should include rather than continue to exclude Australia’s dark histories in order to work towards reconciliation. This paper will explore these sites by applying MacDonald’s concept of ‘difficult heritage’.Show less
