Correspondent Graham Forsaith (“Give me a break, Pauline”, Letters, 17/9), is right to reiterate that denigrating other cultures because we think we are smarter is foolish. He corrects Pauline Hanson by cleverly identifying elements of Australian Indigenous culture which sustained this population in harsh environmental terrains, which is a window to underlying brilliance. Based on DNA studies, when Dutch seamen were shipwrecked on the West Australian coast in the 17th century, their integration into local Indigenous societies ensured survival. Their limited resources proved to be no foundation for the preservation of their Western culture here. Even today – lacking the skills of navigation, bush tracking and survival priorities – how many “high-IQ” modern-day internet users exposed to the elements and lost in our deserts or rugged jungles have a realistic hope of survival? Most Australians might have more sympathy for Pauline Hanson and her self-destructive litany of confused messaging if her own language was a touch more compassionate. Alan Sexton, North Parramatta 18September 2026
