Curriculum Reviewer Barry Spurr Mocks 'Abos, Mussies, Women, Chinky-Poos'
A
University of Sydney Professor – employed by the federal government as a
specialist consultant to review the national English curriculum – has
described the Prime Minister as an “Abo lover” while at the same time
advising the government to focus less on teaching Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander literature in our nation’s schools, and place greater
emphasis on western Judeo-Christian culture.
In email correspondence that spans more than two years, Barry Spurr,
the nation’s leading Professor of Poetry, describes Aboriginal people as
‘human rubbish tips’ and “Abos”, and rails against the prevalence of
Aboriginal culture in school curriculums, and within politics. But the
exchanges are not just limited to First Nations people.
Professor Spurr also takes aim at “bogans” “fatsoes”, “Mussies” and
“Chinky-Poos”, and laments the reality that Australia is less white than
it was in the 1950s.
He calls Nelson Mandela a “darkie” and Desmond Tutu a “witch doctor”;
describes his University of Sydney chancellor Belinda Hutchinson as “an
appalling minx”; likens Methodists to “serpents”; refers to women as
“whores”; and in response to a comment about a female victim of a
serious sexual assault being a “worthless slut”, he suggests that she
needs more than just ‘penis’ put in her mouth, before it’s “stitched
up”.
In one email, Professor Spurr tells university colleagues and friends
that 95 per cent of the students at Australian universities –
including, presumably his own – should not be studying at tertiary
institutions, and remarks that a colleague who publicly advanced that
argument will be “derided as elitist, fascist, misogynist – the usual
litany”.
“[But] he’s completely right. One day the Western world will wake up,
when the Mussies and the chinky-poos have taken over,” he adds.
Even the “modern Brit” comes in for a serve, described by Professor Spurr as “the scum of the earth”.
Between September 2012 and late 2014, the emails were sent to around a
dozen people, including very senior academics and officials within the
University of Sydney.
Professor Spurr has this morning defended his email exchanges,
telling New Matilda they were clearly intended to mock the “very extreme
language” used.
“The comments that you refer to are largely to one recipient with
whom I have had a whimsical linguistic game for many years of trying to
outdo one another in extreme statements.
“These statements are not reflections of my views or his.
“What I say about the place of the study of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander language and literature in the curriculum is my
considered professional view and not in any way influenced by these
email exchanges which are linguistic play, and the numerous students of
different races and of colour with whom I have worked for many years
will testify that I have treated them with the same equity and dignity
that I treat all my students.
“I find it astonishing that you would think that I would seriously
hold those views and not realise, as a journalist, that these are emails
of mock-shockng (sic) repartee, mocking, in fact, that very kind of
extreme language.”
A source within the University of Sydney, connected to the School of
Letters, Art and Media (SLAM) - which includes the English Department -
has confirmed that the emails were sent from Professor Spurr’s official
university email address.
Ironically, SLAM has been the subject of an ongoing attack in The
Australian newspaper this week, with Media Editor Sharri Markson
alleging the journalism department at the University of Sydney has been
“brain-washing” students with biased, left-wing course material which
attacks conservatism and rubbishes her employer, News Corporation.
Professor Spurr was chosen by the Abbott Government to serve on the
National Curriculum Review, headed by Professor Ken Wiltshire and Dr
Kevin Donnelly. The final report was handed to the Abbott Government
late last week.
The review is proposing to alter the national school curriculum introduced in 2011 by the Labor government.
Professor Spurr’s contribution to the review was in the area of
English studies. He argues that contribution of First Nations writers to
Australia’s literary tradition has been “minimal” and that the focus of
the curriculum should be on western civilisation and Judeo-Christian
heritage.
“The impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on
literature in English in Australia has been minimal and is vastly
outweighed by the impact of global literature in English and especially
that from Britain, on our literary culture,” Professor Spurr writes.
His comments are given additional weight in the final report, which
notes that the “emphasis” on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
literature was “criticised for undervaluing Australian literature and
the place of Western literature, particularly poetry”.
Those views have been strongly backed by Minister for Education,
Christopher Pyne, who described the review as having an “absence of
ideology”. On ABC Lateline earlier this week he defended the
recommendations to focus the curriculum away from Aboriginal culture
towards “our Judeo-Christian heritage”.
“Before 1788, our history was Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
culture and history almost exclusively. Since that time, obviously since
colonisation, Western civilisation, our Judeo-Christian heritage has
been the basis of our development as a nation,” Pyne said.
“So therefore, learning about where we've come from is not
ideological, it's simply learning about where we've come from…. But
knowing about our Western heritage is not repudiating our Indigenous
heritage and it's not Christianity, it's just history.”
That mirrors Professor Spurr’s public statements in the review, but
it’s a world away from what Professor Spurr says privately about
Aboriginal people and culture.
While publicly, he argues the Aboriginal contribution to Australian
literature is “minimal”, privately, he says the ‘Abo’ contribution is
non-existent.
In an email written in April 19 this year, sent to two friends
outside the University of Sydney, Professor Spurr reveals that Education
Minister Christopher Pyne – the man who appointed him to the review –
wants him to compare Australian school curriculums with curriculums from
other countries.
“The Californian high school English curriculum has arrived (as Pyne
wants me to compare ours with other countries). Another 300 pages of
reading!
“And whereas the local curriculum has the phrase ‘Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander’ on virtually every one of its 300 pages, the
Californian curriculum does not ONCE mention native Americans and has
only a very slight representation of African-American literature (which,
unlike Abo literature, actually exists and has some distinguished
productions).”
In response to that specific discrepancy, Professor Spurr explained
this morning: “My considered view is that it is very small, perhaps not
zero precisely, so I used the term 'slight' to be as positive as I could
be.”
Professor Spurr’s commentary on Aboriginal people and culture – and
people of colour generally – are littered throughout the years of
correspondence.
In April 2014, he rails against a ceremony at Uluru for the visiting
royals, Prince William and Princess Catherine, at which entertainment is
provided by “well known Aboriginal singer, Wingabanga Gumberumbul”,
presumably a reference to Gurrumul Yunupingu. Professor Spurr calls the
Prime Minister “gutless and hypocritical”, and blames his chief-of-staff
Peta Credlin for the appearance of an ‘Abo’ singer.
“We have thousands of brilliant young Australians musicians,
including the wonderful Nicole Car (who would wear her bra under her
dress) currently on the brink of an international operatic career. Why
aren’t they asked to perform? Abbott’s to blame for this. This is his
day with them, his reception. He should have put his foot down and said,
‘No more Abos’. But he’s as gutless and hypocritical of the rest of
them. No doubt Peta Whatsername said ‘Do it Tony. It makes you look like
a sensitive guy’.”
In January this year, he writes that “Abo Lover Abbott and
[Australian of the Year] Adam Goodes” are Siamese Twins and will have to
be surgically separated.
In October 2013, he sends a long email about an Aboriginal family who
lives down the road from him in inner western Sydney. He describes them
as a ‘human rubbish tip’ and mocks Vice-Chancellor of Sydney
University, Michael Spence for his support of Aboriginal people and
culture under an email headed ‘Ancient Wisdom’.
“These are the people whose ‘ancient wisdom’, our V-C says, we should
respect, and to whom we apologise on every possible occasion and whose
rich culture we bow down before, confessing our wickedness in our
mistreatment of them.
“All very well when you’re living in a multi-million dollar mansion
in Woolahra (sic), to spout these feel-good emotions from a safe
distance. I wonder how he’d like these manifestations of ancient wisdom
living next door. The immediate neighbours tell me it has been hell on
earth and, of course, their property values have plummeted. They’re
living next door to a rubbish tip: human and material.”
Several of his emails direct friends and colleagues to Youtube videos
which celebrate the British Monarchy and deride people of colour.
In one email from February 2013, headed “Look at 11.20 – no fatties,
darkies or chinky-poos”, Professor Spurr urges recipients to celebrate
an Australian school or church which appears to be made up entirely of
white children.
In another email a year later, he links to a video
which compares London in 1927 with London in 2013. Professor Spurr
writes: “A delight until things turn sour around 4:00 with the emergence
of the darkies.”
He also manages to line up Aboriginal people, Asians, Muslims, women
and anyone obese in a single email sent a few days earlier, commenting:
“No Abos, Chinky-poos, Mussies, graffiti, piercings, jeans, tattoos. BCP
(Book of Common Prayer) in all Anglican chruches (sic); Latin Mass in
all Roman ones. Not a woman to be seen in a sanctuary (church) anywhere.
And no obese fatsoes. All the kiddies slim and bright eyed. Now utterly
gone with the wind,” he writes.
In his correspondence to New Matilda, Professor Spurr alleges that New Matilda’s access to his emails was illegal.
“My lawyer informs me that accessing my email is 'a criminal offence'
and the university's security service is currently looking into the
matter,” he writes.
New Matilda rejects any suggestion it has been involved in any criminal offence.
New Matilda is awaiting comment from Education Minister Christopher Pyne.
- Additional reporting: Amy McQuire and Max Chalmers.
* New Matilda survives predominantly on subscription revenue. If you want to support the work of New Matilda, you can help fund us here.
University of Sydney Professor – employed by the federal government as a
specialist consultant to review the national English curriculum – has
described the Prime Minister as an “Abo lover” while at the same time
advising the government to focus less on teaching Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander literature in our nation’s schools, and place greater
emphasis on western Judeo-Christian culture.
In email correspondence that spans more than two years, Barry Spurr,
the nation’s leading Professor of Poetry, describes Aboriginal people as
‘human rubbish tips’ and “Abos”, and rails against the prevalence of
Aboriginal culture in school curriculums, and within politics. But the
exchanges are not just limited to First Nations people.
Professor Spurr also takes aim at “bogans” “fatsoes”, “Mussies” and
“Chinky-Poos”, and laments the reality that Australia is less white than
it was in the 1950s.
He calls Nelson Mandela a “darkie” and Desmond Tutu a “witch doctor”;
describes his University of Sydney chancellor Belinda Hutchinson as “an
appalling minx”; likens Methodists to “serpents”; refers to women as
“whores”; and in response to a comment about a female victim of a
serious sexual assault being a “worthless slut”, he suggests that she
needs more than just ‘penis’ put in her mouth, before it’s “stitched
up”.
In one email, Professor Spurr tells university colleagues and friends
that 95 per cent of the students at Australian universities –
including, presumably his own – should not be studying at tertiary
institutions, and remarks that a colleague who publicly advanced that
argument will be “derided as elitist, fascist, misogynist – the usual
litany”.
“[But] he’s completely right. One day the Western world will wake up,
when the Mussies and the chinky-poos have taken over,” he adds.
Even the “modern Brit” comes in for a serve, described by Professor Spurr as “the scum of the earth”.
Between September 2012 and late 2014, the emails were sent to around a
dozen people, including very senior academics and officials within the
University of Sydney.
Professor Spurr has this morning defended his email exchanges,
telling New Matilda they were clearly intended to mock the “very extreme
language” used.
“The comments that you refer to are largely to one recipient with
whom I have had a whimsical linguistic game for many years of trying to
outdo one another in extreme statements.
“These statements are not reflections of my views or his.
“What I say about the place of the study of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander language and literature in the curriculum is my
considered professional view and not in any way influenced by these
email exchanges which are linguistic play, and the numerous students of
different races and of colour with whom I have worked for many years
will testify that I have treated them with the same equity and dignity
that I treat all my students.
“I find it astonishing that you would think that I would seriously
hold those views and not realise, as a journalist, that these are emails
of mock-shockng (sic) repartee, mocking, in fact, that very kind of
extreme language.”
A source within the University of Sydney, connected to the School of
Letters, Art and Media (SLAM) - which includes the English Department -
has confirmed that the emails were sent from Professor Spurr’s official
university email address.
Ironically, SLAM has been the subject of an ongoing attack in The
Australian newspaper this week, with Media Editor Sharri Markson
alleging the journalism department at the University of Sydney has been
“brain-washing” students with biased, left-wing course material which
attacks conservatism and rubbishes her employer, News Corporation.
Professor Spurr was chosen by the Abbott Government to serve on the
National Curriculum Review, headed by Professor Ken Wiltshire and Dr
Kevin Donnelly. The final report was handed to the Abbott Government
late last week.
The review is proposing to alter the national school curriculum introduced in 2011 by the Labor government.
Professor Spurr’s contribution to the review was in the area of
English studies. He argues that contribution of First Nations writers to
Australia’s literary tradition has been “minimal” and that the focus of
the curriculum should be on western civilisation and Judeo-Christian
heritage.
A screen capture from the University of Sydney website, announcing Professor Spurr's appointment to the review in May this year.
literature in English in Australia has been minimal and is vastly
outweighed by the impact of global literature in English and especially
that from Britain, on our literary culture,” Professor Spurr writes.
His comments are given additional weight in the final report, which
notes that the “emphasis” on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
literature was “criticised for undervaluing Australian literature and
the place of Western literature, particularly poetry”.
Those views have been strongly backed by Minister for Education,
Christopher Pyne, who described the review as having an “absence of
ideology”. On ABC Lateline earlier this week he defended the
recommendations to focus the curriculum away from Aboriginal culture
towards “our Judeo-Christian heritage”.
“Before 1788, our history was Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
culture and history almost exclusively. Since that time, obviously since
colonisation, Western civilisation, our Judeo-Christian heritage has
been the basis of our development as a nation,” Pyne said.
“So therefore, learning about where we've come from is not
ideological, it's simply learning about where we've come from…. But
knowing about our Western heritage is not repudiating our Indigenous
heritage and it's not Christianity, it's just history.”
That mirrors Professor Spurr’s public statements in the review, but
it’s a world away from what Professor Spurr says privately about
Aboriginal people and culture.
While publicly, he argues the Aboriginal contribution to Australian
literature is “minimal”, privately, he says the ‘Abo’ contribution is
non-existent.
In an email written in April 19 this year, sent to two friends
outside the University of Sydney, Professor Spurr reveals that Education
Minister Christopher Pyne – the man who appointed him to the review –
wants him to compare Australian school curriculums with curriculums from
other countries.
“The Californian high school English curriculum has arrived (as Pyne
wants me to compare ours with other countries). Another 300 pages of
reading!
“And whereas the local curriculum has the phrase ‘Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander’ on virtually every one of its 300 pages, the
Californian curriculum does not ONCE mention native Americans and has
only a very slight representation of African-American literature (which,
unlike Abo literature, actually exists and has some distinguished
productions).”
In response to that specific discrepancy, Professor Spurr explained
this morning: “My considered view is that it is very small, perhaps not
zero precisely, so I used the term 'slight' to be as positive as I could
be.”
Professor Spurr’s commentary on Aboriginal people and culture – and
people of colour generally – are littered throughout the years of
correspondence.
In April 2014, he rails against a ceremony at Uluru for the visiting
royals, Prince William and Princess Catherine, at which entertainment is
provided by “well known Aboriginal singer, Wingabanga Gumberumbul”,
presumably a reference to Gurrumul Yunupingu. Professor Spurr calls the
Prime Minister “gutless and hypocritical”, and blames his chief-of-staff
Peta Credlin for the appearance of an ‘Abo’ singer.
“We have thousands of brilliant young Australians musicians,
including the wonderful Nicole Car (who would wear her bra under her
dress) currently on the brink of an international operatic career. Why
aren’t they asked to perform? Abbott’s to blame for this. This is his
day with them, his reception. He should have put his foot down and said,
‘No more Abos’. But he’s as gutless and hypocritical of the rest of
them. No doubt Peta Whatsername said ‘Do it Tony. It makes you look like
a sensitive guy’.”
In January this year, he writes that “Abo Lover Abbott and
[Australian of the Year] Adam Goodes” are Siamese Twins and will have to
be surgically separated.
A screen capture of one of the Professor Spurr emails, which describes Tony Abbott as an 'Abo lover'.
lives down the road from him in inner western Sydney. He describes them
as a ‘human rubbish tip’ and mocks Vice-Chancellor of Sydney
University, Michael Spence for his support of Aboriginal people and
culture under an email headed ‘Ancient Wisdom’.
“These are the people whose ‘ancient wisdom’, our V-C says, we should
respect, and to whom we apologise on every possible occasion and whose
rich culture we bow down before, confessing our wickedness in our
mistreatment of them.
“All very well when you’re living in a multi-million dollar mansion
in Woolahra (sic), to spout these feel-good emotions from a safe
distance. I wonder how he’d like these manifestations of ancient wisdom
living next door. The immediate neighbours tell me it has been hell on
earth and, of course, their property values have plummeted. They’re
living next door to a rubbish tip: human and material.”
Several of his emails direct friends and colleagues to Youtube videos
which celebrate the British Monarchy and deride people of colour.
In one email from February 2013, headed “Look at 11.20 – no fatties,
darkies or chinky-poos”, Professor Spurr urges recipients to celebrate
an Australian school or church which appears to be made up entirely of
white children.
which compares London in 1927 with London in 2013. Professor Spurr
writes: “A delight until things turn sour around 4:00 with the emergence
of the darkies.”
He also manages to line up Aboriginal people, Asians, Muslims, women
and anyone obese in a single email sent a few days earlier, commenting:
“No Abos, Chinky-poos, Mussies, graffiti, piercings, jeans, tattoos. BCP
(Book of Common Prayer) in all Anglican chruches (sic); Latin Mass in
all Roman ones. Not a woman to be seen in a sanctuary (church) anywhere.
And no obese fatsoes. All the kiddies slim and bright eyed. Now utterly
gone with the wind,” he writes.
In his correspondence to New Matilda, Professor Spurr alleges that New Matilda’s access to his emails was illegal.
“My lawyer informs me that accessing my email is 'a criminal offence'
and the university's security service is currently looking into the
matter,” he writes.
New Matilda rejects any suggestion it has been involved in any criminal offence.
New Matilda is awaiting comment from Education Minister Christopher Pyne.
- Additional reporting: Amy McQuire and Max Chalmers.
* New Matilda survives predominantly on subscription revenue. If you want to support the work of New Matilda, you can help fund us here.
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