The Mind of a Thief

Exploring the history of the Wiradjuri people, the conflict of colonization, their mythologies, and their attachment to the land, author Patti Miller reveals both her own story and the position of Aboriginal people in today’s society in this fascinating memoir. For 40,000 years, the Central New South Wales area of Wellington was Aboriginal Wiradjuri land. Following the arrival of white men, it became a penal settlement, a mission station, a gold-mining town, and a farming center with a history of white comfort and black marginalization. In the late 20th century, it was also the subject of the first post-Mabo native title claim, bringing new hope—and controversy—to the area and its people. Patti, a local of the area, explores Australian identity in relation to her beloved but stolen country. Black and white politics, the processes of colonization, family mythologies, generational conflict, and the power of place are evoked as she weaves a story that is very personal and, at the same time, a universal tale of belonging.