65,000 YEARS: A SHORT HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN ART

65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art explores Australia’s brutal colonial past and reveals new insights into its ancient art. Long before British invasion in 1788, First Peoples’ artistic traditions flourished for millennia, shaping the continent and its societies. Settlers initially ignored these art forms, only recognizing them as ‘fine art’ in the late 1980s. This book, featuring twenty-five writers, challenges conventional art history and highlights Indigenous Australian art’s significance and resilience. Published alongside a 2025 exhibition at the University of Melbourne’s Potter Museum, it celebrates the enduring brilliance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.