Massive in size and importance for the region's true history

At the book launch: Barry (on left) is with the former Mayor of Hepburn, Brian Hood, and his co-author Clive Willman is standing, centre-back.

The "unsettling" historical legacies behind six of the most iconic peaks in central Victoria are laid bare in a new book by Great Dividing Trail Association (GDTA) founder and Honorary Professor, Barry Golding. Launching the book Six Peaks Speak  in Castlemaine in December 2024, the former Mayor of Hepburn Shire, Brian Hood remarked that  “the book was not only massive size, but massive in importance.”
 
In the early stages of research for the book, Gib Wettenhall climbed some of the peaks with Barry. The latter then went on to obtain a State Library of Victoria fellowship and spend a year digging through the archives to find the stories behind each of the peaks, many of them disturbing tales of dispossession and environmental degradation.

 Rodney Carter, CEO of DJAARA, the corporation for TOs of the Dja Dja Wurrung  was full of praise. He said the book is “helping us reframe a pretty traumatic period of our history. It offers a means of letting go of our misconceptions, and to help our children move forward... It gives my homeland a chance to heal.”  

Barry responded that “today is about giving back, especially to Djaara.” He commented that the State Library  saw the book as “a great aid towards navigating our way to Treaty in Victoria” (due for conclusion in early 2026 prior to the next state election).  

Barry acknowledged that “while the conclusions are mine” his good friend and co-author Clive Willman was an excellent sounding board and “very good at weeding out the rubbish” in his early drafts.  

​Barry ended his speech saying that after the defeat of the Voice, “what has happened is still unsettled.” What we need to do is “Listen,” which is the last word in the book – a comment that was given to him by a fellow Professor, Tony Dreise, Pro Vice Chancellor, Indigenous Engagement at Charles Sturt University. 

Six Peaks Speak has been published by Common Ground in the US as an e-book and limited hard copy numbers are available for $84 plus postage from Barry Golding if you contact him via email: [email protected]

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