"Discovering" Indonesia

This article argues that the much publicised lack of knowledge of and interest in Indonesia in Australia is a consequence of the lack of Indonesian content in the Australian school and university curriculum. It argues that the study of Indonesian history should be prioritised within the discipline in Australian schools and universities. In a crowded curriculum with competing priorities, it is pertinent to ask: Why Indonesia? Why the history curriculum? This article seeks to answer these important questions, but to begin I have written a personal story to provide an example of how many young Australians come to see Indonesia.