The proposal to use the Australian desert to test
British nuclear weapons became public in.1946-1947.
All that the federal government had done was
appoint two welfare officers to
inform nomadic peoples about the nuclear tests. When we consider cultural differences,
the fact that only one of these men spoke an Aboriginal language, the vast
distances (thousands of square kilometres from Woomera, north-west of Adelaide , to the north-western coast of Australia ), and
few roads, it's hard to imagine how they could have achieved this.
------------------------------
William Grayden later conducted an enquiry into
conditions of Aboriginals re-located to the Warburton Ranges
area, and was pounced upon by an outraged journalist:
Grayden responded by returning to the area, this
time with a movie camera. Pastor [Sir] Doug Nicholls from Victoria was invited to join the group which
set out in February 1957 to film these desert nomads.
The movie made of this visit was titled “Manslaughter”
Made too soon for TV to be any useful part of Australia’s communication
network, travelled from town to town and was shown in meetings around the
country.
It helped begin a tidal wave of awareness in more
populous areas around the country, and support for a movement towards [the
1967] constitutional change in Aboriginal Affairs. [Though to be fair, changes were
already being made by the Liberal Government.]
All of which is just history, but a history which
provides a backdrop against which to view this recent headline:
It is more of the disgraceful history of our treatment of the Aborigines and well worth revisiting.
ReplyDeleteSickmaking.
DeleteIt is such a shameful part of our history and so recently, too.
ReplyDeleteRupert Murdoch, even worse.....
I can't help but wonder if his condemnation of racism means he has grown [we all make mistakes] or is it just a convenient tune?
DeleteIt's very difficult to imagine the son and the mother together.
Sorry FC, I've been sitting here for a while mesmerized by the waves in your background, it's very late and I'm just about nodding off here haha! It seems newspapers have been reporting things how THEY want the world to perceive them for a very long time, seriously I'm skeptical about everything I read now...trust no one! nite, nite :)
ReplyDeleteSo many of your photos reflect a love of water I would be surprised if the background didn't get to you occasionally.
DeleteSleep tight!