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
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William Grayden later conducted an enquiry into
conditions of Aboriginals re-located to the Warburton Ranges
Grayden responded by returning to the area, this
time with a movie camera. Pastor [Sir] Doug Nicholls from Victoria
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:
