John Maynard is an Australian-born author from the Port Stephens region of New South Wales. He is an ARC Australian Research Fellow (Indigenous) and Deputy Chairperson of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. John received his PhD in 2003, examining the rise of early Aboriginal political activism. He has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Australian Historical Association, the New South Wales History Council and the Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council, and has worked with and within many Aboriginal communities — urban, rural and remote. He is the author of four books, including Aboriginal Stars of the Turf, Fight for Liberty and Freedom, and The Aboriginal Soccer Tribe.