The Tommy Burns-Jack Johnson World Heavyweight Boxing Championship of 1908 captivated Australia but also divided the community in the host city, Sydney. Writing letters to newspapers was the social media of the time. The 100 letters published by the Sydney Morning Herald in the week following the fight are fascinating documents that enable the reader to grasp the mood and competing values of the era, particularly regarding racism.
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About the Author: Bernard Whimpress
I am a freelance writer and historian based in Adelaide, South Australia. Most of my 48 books are on sport, chiefly cricket, although a couple of titles have been on Adelaide heritage buildings and I have also written a memoir.