Bruce Pascoe in the excerpt titled, ‘Lake Corangamite’ from his book ‘Convincing Ground’, narrates his journey to Lake Corangamite, whilst taking particular note of the way Australians recognize the Indigenous people but do not fully respond respectfully to their nation’s history.
The excerpt begins with Pascoe noting how Aboriginal names and terms have been widely used, yet there is still a ‘bleakness’ (Pascoe 74) present. He then goes on to recount his initially unsuccessful luck with gaining information about a particular house with distinctly holed walls. After several attempts, Pascoe is finally able to be let in to photograph the house and is told briefly that ‘the settlers had a lot of fights with the Aborigines’ (Pascoe 75). The conversation ends short there. Pascoe continues on his journey and meets another Aussie, ‘a good bloke [and a] decent Australian’ (Pascoe 75). He then arrives at a lake, where he is allowed to take photos of it by an Aborigine farmer. Pascoe feels ‘sorrow’ (Pascoe 77) for the farmer:
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Pascoe is still able to provide a genuine and straightforward narration: one which does not ignore the real issues of displacement and dispossession, but rather endeavour to confront them. As Pascoe himself went to the places in his book and met the people he talks about, his work is further authenticated and readers are able to gain a greater perspective through his real-life interactions.
From ‘Lake Corangamite’, it can be concluded that it is only through thorough acknowledgement of Australia’s past and the way the subsequent actions that follow, will enable the nation to move forward. It is through this that the country will be able change, from the practice of shrouded ignorance and self-deception to one of full acknowledgment and respect for the traditional owners of the