Henry Reynolds (b. 1938), historian, studied at the University of Tasmania before taking up a lectureship at Townsville University College (later James Cook University) in 1965. He became interested in the history of relations between settlers and the Aboriginal people, publishing 'The Other Side of the Frontier' (1981) and 'The Law of the Land' (1987). Meanwhile, he recalls encouraging his friend Eddie Mabo to take up the issue of ownership of his traditional lands in court. Subsequent works such as 'Fate of a Free People, This Whispering in our Hearts' (1998) and 'Why Weren't We Told' (1999) continued his examination of Aboriginal-white relations, providing a historical context for the cause of reconciliation. Since taking up a professorial fellowship at the University of Tasmania in 2000 he has published 'An Indelible Stain? The Question of Genocide in Australia's History' (2001), 'The Aborigines' (2002), 'North of Capricorn: The Untold Story of Australia's North' (2003), 'Nowhere People' (2005) and 'Forgotten War' (2013). Reynolds’s many prizes include the Queensland Premier’s and Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.
