Henry Reynolds turns Australian history upside down

In this compelling episode of Late Night Live, veteran historian Henry Reynolds, at 87, revisits his lifelong exploration of Australia's hidden past through his new book, 'Looking from the North, Australian History from the Top Down.' Reynolds challenges the dominant southern-centric narrative by spotlighting the vast, tropical north—45% of the landmass but only 5% of the population—arguing that British colonization north of the Tropic of Capricorn largely failed due to a lack of sustained white settlement. He reveals how the region was never truly 'empty,' but instead a vibrant mosaic of Indigenous nations whose deep connection to the land shaped a unique, often overlooked history. Reynolds dismantles myths of white Australia by exposing the North’s past as a multicultural success story: Chinese miners outnumbered Europeans for decades, Pacific Islander labor was welcomed, and Indigenous people were integrated as essential pastoral workers. He traces how racial ideologies, particularly the obsession with 'racial purity' post-Federation, led to the suppression of these diverse communities, culminating in the forced removal of Pacific Islanders and the end of the ancient Macassan trade. Yet, he finds hope in the present: over 90% of Cape York and much of the Kimberley have now been returned to Indigenous ownership, and he calls for a national treaty process based on recognizing the sovereignty of hundreds of small, independent Indigenous nations. Reynolds insists history’s purpose is not pride but empathy—understanding the past through others' eyes, even when it challenges our self-image.