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2012) We are the stories we tell about ourselves: child welfare records and the construction of identity among Australians who, as children, experienced out-of-home 'care',

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Palgrave Studies in the History of Childhood is the first of its kind to historicise childhood in the English-speaking world; at present no historical series on children/childhood exists, despite burgeoning areas within Child Studies. The series aims to act both as a forum for publishing works in the history of childhood and a mechanism for consolidating the identity and attraction of the new discipline. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. PrefaceThis book attempts the enormous task of placing a robust critical examination of foster care in a deep historical context, and communicating that to as wide a readership as possible. Writing a book with multiple audiences in mind is never an easy task, yet we saw no other option when we began our discussions about how to capture the years of research we had completed into the complex history of foster care in Australia. From the first time we spoke about researching this topic together we shared an understanding that there was important information to record and understand for the benefit of scholars, care leavers, policy makers, social workers, foster carers, other people directly touched by foster care-and the wider Australian public. As our work progressed we realised how much our findings resonated with people from across the globe too. In recognition of these multiple audiences, throughout the text we have referenced lightly, being careful to show where our ideas and evidence have come from, but emphasising readability and accessibility over rigid adherence to academic stylistic conventions. Similarly, we decided that detailed theoretical and methodological discussions were largely not suited to this work-for those interested, our engagement with these can be accessed in the other scholarly publications from the project.From the beginning we also thought broadly about who ha...

PurposeThis article considers the impact of competing knowledge structures in teaching Australian Indigenous history to undergraduate university students and the possibilities of collaborative teaching in this space.Design/methodology/approachThe authors, one Aboriginal and one non-Aboriginal, draw on a history of collaborative teaching that stretches over more than a decade, bringing together conceptual reflective work and empirical data from a 5-year project working with Australian university students in an introductory-level Aboriginal history subject.FindingsIt argues that teaching this subject area in ways which are culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students, and which resist knowledge structures associated with colonial ways of conveying history, is not only about content but also about building learning spaces that encourage students to decolonise their relationships with Australian history.Originality/valueThis article considers collaborative approaches to knowledge transmission in the university history classroom as an act of decolonising knowledge spaces rather than as a model of reconciliation.