Neighbours and Strangers — on Losing the Track

The cultural gap between the colonists and their indigenous neighbours was an insurmountable tracking difficulty for the young nations of Australia and New Zealand. Scattered across the island continent lived Aborigines, unappreciated; and to the north, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The cultural distance, one of colour, of custom, of creed, of consciousness and of cash, was too wide to cross. But cultural distances between neighbours inevitably lead to tracking failures, characterized by misconceptions, fears, and ultimately, conflict. Psychiatry has some capacity to define these tracking failures, and to assess their danger. In this paper, Australia's psychiatric approach to its neighbours is examined. Two challenges are specified. In the developing countries: it is subsistence versus surplus psychiatry--do we comprehend the distinction? In Aboriginal Australia: it is the Aboriginal mental health system--do we appreciate its existence? An Aboriginal scripture (bark painting) provides the text.