ABC TV 9:30 pm The Big Picture Thomson Of Arnhem Land Thursday June 29, 9:30pm Thomson of Arnhem Land which screens on ABC TV on Thursday, June 29 at 9:30pm is a new documentary from Film Australia about Australian anthropologist, Donald Thomson and his life-long struggle for Aboriginal rights. In 1933 a state of panic erupted in Darwin after five Japanese fishermen and three white men were killed by Aboriginal clansmen at Caledon Bay. Thomson was appalled by calls for a punitive expedition and volunteered to go alone into Arnhem Land to try to prevent the race war that people feared. Thomson suspected the Aboriginal men were resisting invasions of their land and had acted in self defence. At the same time, he was aware that the official policy of `protection' of Aborigines had failed. He proposed making a scientific study of Yolngu culture as the basis for new policies that would finally bring justice to Aboriginal people. After two years living with the Yolngu, Thomson delivered his report to the government, opposing the policy of assimilation and arguing for specific policies to regulate the impact of white culture and ensure the survival of a unique yet fragile civilization. His report fell on deaf ears. It was the beginning of Thomson's fight for Aboriginal rights which continued through World War II and the post-war Menzies era until his death in 1970. His legacy is a collection of over 10,000 photographs and 7,000 artefacts which document traditional Aboriginal life in extraordinary detail. The Thomson Collection, housed at the Museum of Victoria, is considered one of the most significant ethnographic collections in the world. Director: John Moore. Writer: Michael Cummins. Producers: Michael McMahon & John Moore. Thomson of Arnhem Land is a Film Australia National Interest Program in association with John Moore Productions Pty. Ltd. Produced with the assistance of Cinemediaís Film Victoria and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Producer attachment supported by Film Victoria. Developed with the assistance of Film Victoria and Museum Victoria, in consultation with Laynhapuy Homelands and Ramingining Homelands Leaders. © 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation -- ********************************** 'Click' to protect the rainforest: Make the Rainforest Site your homepage! http://www.therainforestsite.com/ ********************************** ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
