Remembering the Golden Years of Herb

From the 60s through to the 90s, Australia produced capable and inspiring Indonesianists. Driven by Herbert Feith, John Legge and Jamie Mackie, programs on Indonesian studies mushroomed across Australia. A number of Australian studies on Indonesia later became monumentally influential works in academic history.

But the shine of those golden years gradually waned with the collapse of Suharto's New Order regime, followed by the Asian economic crisis and sociopolitical tensions. Student interest in Indonesian studies or the language itself took a nosedive. The Australian government policy to cut off funding for the teaching of Asian languages, including Indonesian, contributed to this decline. And at some campuses, programs on Indonesian studies have come to a grinding halt.