Australian Race Relations has been a subject of continuing controversy, whether focused on Aboriginal issues such as the High Court's Mabo decision, or the latest wave of immigrants. This book provides the historical context necessary for an understanding of contemporary issues in a society coming to terms with native title and multiculturalism.Based on over twenty years of research, Australian Race Relations is the first history of the subject that gives detailed consideration to both nineteenth and twentieth century developments. The book is particularly concerned with the broad patterns of race relations. It deals with the nature of racial consciousness, the dispossession of Aboriginal people, the role of racial minorities in the workforce, the eras of White Australia and assimilation, and contemporary society. Australian Race Relations will appeal to students of Australian history and society, and to everyone interested in the shape of modern Australia.