Established in 1964, the Centre for Research into Aboriginal Affairs propelled Monash University into a position of academic leadership in the ongoing struggle for justice for Aboriginal people. Leading the way in research into the causes of Aboriginal disadvantage and the teaching of Aboriginal Studies, Monash has also been at the forefront of moves to widen educational and employment opportunities for Indigenous people. Focusing on the leaders who steered Monash’s Indigenous programs over half-a-century, Making a Difference tells the story of visionary and committed individuals, some newcomers to Australia, some Australian-born, some Indigenous, who sought to improve Aboriginal peoples’ lives in the face of enormous obstacles.
Rani Kerin is a lecturer in the School of History at Monash University, and Research Fellow at the Collaborative Research Centre in Australian History at Federation University. Previously she worked as a lecturer at the University of Otago, Research Fellow at the National Centre of Biography, The Australian National University, and Research Fellow at the Monash Indigenous Centre. She is the author of Doctor Do-Good: Charles Duguid and Aboriginal Advancement, 1930s–1960s (Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2012).
