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One Blood

One Blood

John Harris
One Blood is really the best overall account of Christian mission engagement with Indingeous Australians and thanks to Concilia it has been republished as an eBook. Its not Victorian specific but it does have many references to and details of a number of the Victorian missions. It’s a huge tome and at times, a fairly ‘dry’ account but also deeply moving through an understated power. This book was very important in my personal ’conversion’ to Indigenous Australia.
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The Lamb Enters the Dreaming: Nathanael Pepper & the Ruptured World

The Lamb Enters the Dreaming: Nathanael Pepper & the Ruptured World

Robert Kenny
This powerful book is an account of Nathanael Pepper, an early Aboriginal Christian from north western Victoria but its so much more than this. Its really an in depth exploration of the understandings, both historical and contemporary of Christian conversion and cultural understandings amongst Indigenous peoples. Highly recommended.
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Acting in Solidarity: The church’s journey with the Indigenous people of Australia

Acting in Solidarity: The church’s journey with the Indigenous people of Australia

Peter Lewis
Peter (based in Melbourne) was very involved with the Uniting Church for many years and helped to establish the Uniting Aboriginal and islander Christian Congress (UAICC) a unique and significant national self governed structure within the Uniting Church. It’s an excellent book with a deep theological apologetic for empathetic partnering with Indigenous peoples. Highly recommended. 
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Following Jesus in Invaded Spaces: Doing Theology on Aboriginal land

Following Jesus in Invaded Spaces: Doing Theology on Aboriginal land

Chris Budden
Similar in style and content to Acting in Solidarity.
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First People: The Eastern Kulin of Melbourne, Port Phillip & Central Victoria

First People: The Eastern Kulin of Melbourne, Port Phillip & Central Victoria

Gary Presland
Gary Presland is an archaeologist and one of Victoria’s authorities on the pre-European landscape of the state. He presents good, basic information about aspects of Indigenous life and the environment of Melbourne pre 1830’s. His is more of an accessible scientific approach that that of a historian, sociologist, anthropologist or theologian.
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Aboriginal Victorians: A history since 1800

Aboriginal Victorians: A history since 1800

Richard Broome
Richard Broome is considered to be one of the states leading historians and experts on Indigenous history. Excellent if you want a broader understanding of historical, social and political changes involving Aboriginal Victorians over the last 200 years.
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Pastor Doug: The story of Sir Douglas Nicholls, Aboriginal leader (out of print)

Pastor Doug: The story of Sir Douglas Nicholls, Aboriginal leader (out of print)

Mavis Thorpe Clark
Although written a long time ago this is still really the only full account or biography of this incredible Victorian. Christian pastor, elder, community leader, politician, state governor and sportsman. As with each of these books, this provides invaluable understandings of both the personal and wider issues and forces at work that have shaped Indigenous issues in Victoria to what they are today.
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Thinking Black: William Cooper & the Australian Aborigines

Thinking Black: William Cooper & the Australian Aborigines' League

Bain Attwood
A largely unknown hero of Aboriginal activism – also a strongly committed Christian and resident of Footscray! Even if you google William Cooper and read a bit about him online I’d recommend it!
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1835 : The founding of Melbourne and the conquest of Australia

1835 : The founding of Melbourne and the conquest of Australia

James Boyce

An Age book of the Year in 2012, this is a fantastic account of the ‘birth’ of Melbourne and again the wider socio-political forces at play through the mid 1800’s. It is powerfully insightful in regards to the impacts on Indigenous Victorians. All Victorians should read this one! 

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The Melbourne Dreaming : A guide to Aboriginal places of Melbourne

The Melbourne Dreaming : A guide to Aboriginal places of Melbourne

Meyer Edelsten

If you’re interested in any actual sites of significance to Aboriginal people in and around Melbourne, this book is like a self guided tour companion. I love taking people to some of these sites and contrasting how many are unknown, uncared for or disregarded. In particular, the Batman treaty site is a weed infested dumping spot on the Merri Creek in inner Fitzroy!

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Mister Maloga: Daniel Matthews and his Maloga mission

Mister Maloga: Daniel Matthews and his Maloga mission

Nancy Cato

Again out of print but a fascinating and detailed account of the Maloga Mission and Daniel Matthews, and independent Scottish missionary on the Murray River near Echuca in the late 1800’s. What makes this so compelling is the impact and number of Indigenous Christian leaders that have emerged from this Yorta Yorta community (Maloga eventually was absorbed into the better known Cummeroogunga Mission). William Cooper, Sir Doug and Lady Gladys Nicholls, Margaret Tucker, Bill Onus, Jimmy Little, The Sapphires and many others all came from this community and had a significant local and national impact. 

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Campfires at the Cross: An account of the Bunting Dale Aboriginal mission at Birregurra near Colac 1839-1851

Campfires at the Cross: An account of the Bunting Dale Aboriginal mission at Birregurra near Colac 1839-1851

Heather Le Griffon

Sympathetic and detailed account of a mission that was considered to have ‘failed’ near the township of Birregurra in Western Victoria. Again, this book provides fascinating insights into not only the issues at the time, but also the resulting influences of Christian and church engagement amongst Aboriginal Australians. 

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Treading Lightly: The hidden wisdom of the worlds oldest people

Treading Lightly: The hidden wisdom of the worlds oldest people

Karl-Erik Sveiby and Tex Skuthorpe

Although not Victorian (or Christian) in content this is a brilliant book in regards to shedding light on what many would say is the God given intelligence and sophistication of much of traditional Aboriginal culture.

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Decolonizing God: The Bible in the Tides of Empire

Decolonizing God: The Bible in the Tides of Empire

Mark Brett

Mark is one of the leading academics and theologians at Whitley College in Melbourne. He is an excellent authority on both the old testament and post colonial theological thinking. Challenging but excellent book

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First Australians

First Australians

Edited by Rachel Perkins and Marcia Langton

This book was released to accompany the excellent SBS series of the same name a number of years ago and although not specifically Victorian, it does have an excellent chapter on Victoria that is presented by Indigenous voices and academics. An excellent and accessible broad coverage of history and issues from an Indigenous perspective.

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Lost Conversations

Lost Conversations

By Geoff Aigner, Cheryl Godwell, Jane Martin, Grant Paulson, John Rawnsley, Kim Robertson, Liz Skelton, Libby Varcoe, Mark Yettica-Paulson

A great online (PDF) resource with many perspectives on Indigenous and non-indigenous voices sharing about ways to work and lead together

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