Don Aitkin's What was it all for?

Those who read across my blogs will know that I have been reading Don Aitkin's What was it all for? The Reshaping of Australia. (Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, 2005). It is one of those books that has been responsible for multiple posts.

The first post in the series was Train Reading - Don Aitkin's What was it all for? 1. Then came Decline of the professions in Australia. Sunday number two of the Train Post will appear. I also plan to do two further posts on other blogs. I do so love a book that crosses all my multiple interests!

I mention the book here because it tells the story of social change in Australia over the last fifty years in part through a prism set by the experiences of the Armidale High leaving certificate class of 1953.

At the end of the book, Don has an appendix that summarises the experiences of the class of 53. I plan to do a post on this blog on his material because it draws out one aspect of what I call the New England Diaspora. Simply put, most of us have had to leave New England. We have had no choice.

The cost to New England from this loss of talent is profound. The story of the class of 53 brings this out.