[4][5] The Age said " It is obvious that he has studied the Australian aborigines, and that in presenting their customs, habits and mentality, in tho form of a story, he has adhered to truth.
"[6] The Brisbane Telegraph called it " complete and unflattering picture, touchingly sympathetic to the black fellow, ruthlessly scathing to the white invader.
"[7] "From the point of view of the corroboree-maker, Grungunja, Hatfield presents a sympathetic picture of the effects of white settlement on the aboriginals.
Natives released after long imprisonment find their old hunting-grounds disturbed and are driven to spear cattle.
Eventually anthropologists take a hand, seeking to reconcile Stone Age lore with the white man’s culture.