Wednesday, July 12, 2023

The Australian Wars (2022)

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Australian Wars is a documentary film (in three parts) which premiered on Australian television (SBS) in 2022.

 

This film covers 140 years of Australian history seen from the perspective of the indigenous population (aboriginals).

 

The topic is the Australian wars against the aboriginals. 

 

The time frame is 1788-1928.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Host, presenter and director: Rachel Perkins

** Writers: Rachel Perkins, Jacob Hickey, and Don Watson

** Production company: Blackfella Films

** Language: English

** Subtitles: English

** Run time: 57 + 58 + 59 minutes = 174 minutes

 

Several persons are interviewed in this film. The list is quite long. Here are the names of the participants (in alphabetical order):

 

Matt Anderson – director, the Australian War Memorial

Damein Bell (Gunditjmara nation)

Dr Heather Burke - archaeologist

Len Collard (Noongar nation) – professor, School of Indigenous Studies, University of Western Australia

Libby Connors – assistant professor of history

 

Ian D. Clark – professor of history

Dr Valerie Cooms (Quandamooka nation)

Dr Raymond Evans - historian

Dr Stephen Gapps - historian

Cliff Harrigan – traditional owner

 

Grace Karskens – emerita professor of history

Steve Kinnane (Miriwong nation) – writer and researcher

Marcia Langton (Yiman nation) – professor

Tom Lawson – historian

Denise Lovett-Murray (Gunditjmara nation)

 

Patrick Malone (Western Kangoulu and Jagalingou nations)

Tony McAvoy (Wirdy nation) - barrister

Angus Murray (Wiradjuri nation) – historian

Chris Owen - historian

Henry Reynolds – professor of history

 

Dr Jonathan Richards - historian

Daryl Rigney (Ngarrindjeri nation) - professor

Daryl Rose (Gunditjmara nation)

Gene Ross – traditional owner

Lyndall Ryan – professor of history

 

Dr Pam Smith - archaeologist

Peter Stanley – professor of history

Chris Tobin (Dharug nation) – educator

Shayne Williams (Dharawal nation) - educator

 

As stated above, there are three episodes:

 

** Episode # 1

focuses on events in Sydney and Parramatta

 

** Episode # 2

focuses on events in Tasmania

 

** Episode # 3

focuses on the end of the frontier wars in northern Australia during the beginning of the 20th century

 

The main purpose of this film is to show that the British colonization of Australia was not conducted with political and diplomatic means. It was a case of violence; a case of brutal force; a case of armed struggle.

 

The indigenous population did not give up their homeland without a fight. They tried to resist the foreign invasion, but the resistance was crushed and destroyed.

 

It was war. More precisely it was a series of wars which were fought in different regions of Australia and at different times.

 

When these wars were fought, they were well-known. Since then, they have, to a large extent, been forgotten. Nowadays, they are not well-known in Australia, and they are even less well-known in the rest of the world outside Australia.

 

In this film, the history of these wars is told by the people who are interviewed. Some are aboriginals, while others are academic scholars. 

 

When you look at the chart above, you can see that some of them belong in both categories: 

 

** Some aboriginals are academic scholars

** Some academic scholars are aboriginals

 

Between the talking heads, there are old drawings and old photographs. Some historical moments have been reconstructed by modern actors.

 

In this film, we follow the host and presenter Rachel Perkins as she travels to many different locations in Australia.

 

Whenever she gets to a new location, she meets a person or several persons who have a direct connection with this location.

 

They explain the significance of this location. How it is connected to the history of the conflict between the white colonizers and the indigenous population. Why it deserves to mentioned in an account of the Australian wars.

 

Rachel Perkins is not a neutral student of this topic. She has a personal connection with the topic which is studied here.

 

Her mother was a German woman, while her father was an aboriginal man. One part of the story covered in this film concerns the experience of her ancestors.

 

Some individuals who played a significant role in the historical conflict are mentioned and briefly presented in this film.

 

On one hand, we have some representatives of the British colonial system. On the other hand, we have some warriors of different aboriginal tribes.

 

# 1. Members of the British administration

 

Arthur Philip (1738-1814)

** The first governor of the Colony of New South Wales

** In office 1788-1792

 

Charles Grant, First Baron Glenelg (1778-1866)

** Secretary of State for War and Colonies

** In office 1835-1839

 

According to this film, he told the British officials who were stationed in Australia to negotiate a treaty with the indigenous population, but his order was ignored.

 

George Arthur, First Baronet KCH (1784-1854)

** Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land

** (Present-day Tasmania)

** (Appointed 1823)

** In office 1824-1836

 

As Lieutenant Governor, he was responsible for the brutal repression and persecution of the aboriginal population in the conflict known as the Black War (1826-1832).

 

# 2. Aboriginal warriors

(Some dates listed here are not certain)

 

Bennelong

(1764-1813)

 

Pemulwuy

(1750-1802)

 

Tongerlongeter

(1790-1837)

 

Musquito

(1780-1825)

 

Yagan

(1795-1833)

 

Mannalarga

(1770-1835)

 

In this film, the history of the Australian wars is told in great detail. The historical account presented here is supported by solid and credible evidence.

 

While the early aboriginal leaders did not leave many written reports of their experiences, the British colonial administration and their local supporters produced a huge amount of evidence, much of which has been preserved until our time.

 

Local officials and their supporters were proud of their efforts to bring civilization and progress to Australia. 

 

They wanted their contemporaries to know exactly what they had done. They wanted to leave something for posterity.

 

They were not trying to hide anything. On the contrary. They composed their reports, as they did, because they believed they deserved to be praised for their actions.

 

When such documents are read today, they look more like confessions of serious crimes. Several such documents are presented and quoted in this film.

 

Gross violations of human rights are documented by the persons who were responsible for these violations. This is known as irrefutable evidence.

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 85 percent.

 

There are two user reviews on IMDb.

 

Here are the headlines and the ratings offered:

 

100 percent

Horrific, should be shown in all Australian schools

 

100 percent

Harrowing, informative and beautifully made

 

In one section of the Wikipedia entry about this film, several reviews are mentioned and quoted. Some are positive, while others are negative.

 

(A) Positive reviews

 

Anne Maree Payne and Heidi Norman

The Conversation

21 September 2022

 

Ethan Floyd

Honi Soit

17 October 2022

 

Beejay Silcox

The Guardian

22 January 2023

 

(B) Negative reviews

 

Chris Battle

Quadrant Online

26 September 2022

 

Peter O’Brien

The Spectator Australia

11 October 2022

 

I understand the numerous positive reviews and agree with them. I cannot agree with the negative reviews.

 

The topic is important. The history of the Australian wars deserves to be told, and in this film, it is done very well.

 

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).

 

REFERENCES

 

# 1. Books

 

The Other Side of the Frontier: Aboriginal Resistance to the European Invasion of Australia

By Henry Reynolds

(1981)

 

An Indelible Stain?

The Question of Genocide in Australia’s History

By Henry Reynolds

(2001)

 

The Australian Frontier Wars, 1788-1838

By John Connor

(2002)

 

First Australians

Edited by Rachel Perkins and Marcia Langton

(This companion book to the film was published in 2010, two years after the film was released)

 

A History of Tasmania

By Henry Reynolds

(2011)

 

Forgotten War

By Henry Reynolds

(2013)

 

Conspiracy of Silence:

Queensland’s Frontier Killing Times

By Timothy Bottoms

(2013)

 

The Black War

By Nicholas Clements

(2014)

 

The Sydney Wars:

Conflict in the Early Colony, 1788-1817

By Stephen Gapps

(2018)

 

Tongerlongeter:

First Nations Leader & Tasmanian War Hero

By Henry Reynolds & Nicholas Clements

(2021)

 

# 2. Film and video

 

Rabbit-Proof Fence

A historical drama

Run time = 94 minutes

(2002)

 

First Australians

A documentary film

Director = Rachel Perkins

Seven episodes

Run time = 7 x 52 minutes = 364 minutes

(2008)

 

Mabo

A historical drama

Director = Rachel Perkins

Run time = 103 minutes

(2012)

 

Servant or Slave

A documentary film

Run time = 58 minutes

(2016)

 

We Are Still Here

A film about the first nations of Australia and New Zealand

Run time = 90 minutes

(2022)

 

*****

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment