The Cairns Tropical writers festival is coming up soon. Please take that the time to check out the flyer on a special launch event for the festival.
News
Uncle Boydie Spot on SBS News Australia
Uncle Boydie Achieves His Dreams
Yorta Yorta elder Alf (Uncle Boydie) Turner fulfilled a long-held dream in Canberra this week by handing a petition to Sir Peter Cosgrove, the Governor General, on 27 May 2014, the 47th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum and the first day of Reconciliation Week. The Governor-General undertook to send a copy to the Queen. Abe Schwarz and I accompanied Uncle Boydie with David Jack on camera.
Continue Reading on the Uncle Boydie Petition Page: on the Uncle Boydie Petition Page
Prince William meets with Uncle Boydie
They met Prince William on Good Friday at Admiralty House in Sydney for a standing meeting of about 5 minutes and Uncle Boydie was able to give him a letter explaining the petition and his desire to hand it to the Queen. The meeting was positive. On another front, correspondence is ongoing between the Australian Governor-Generals staff and Buckingham Palace staff.
Here also is the newsclip from SBS TV (18th April), which summarises part of the story… in less than a minute! If you open the link (or copy and paste it into the browser), you’ll find Uncle Boydie at timestamp 16.25 – 17.24
Link for news report:
http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/230228035667/SBS-World-News-18-April-630-part-1
One Story Of Australia’s Connection With Nelson Mandela
By Barbara Miller 9.12.13
With the passing of Nelson Mandela, the world mourns but also celebrates the life of an extra-ordinary man of great vision, great passion for justice, a model of humility, forgiveness, grace, dignity and perseverance. He was a courageous leader, a world statesman, a man of great maturity and compassion, one who made the hard decisions with love. As the accolades pour in from everywhere, we know the world is richer for his life. Not only is he the father of South Africa but he is a father to all those who choose reconciliation instead of bitterness, love rather than hate and understanding rather than fear.
There are undoubtedly many stories of the lives touched by Nelson Mandela. There are undoubtedly many stories of people and nations who worked to change South Africa’s apartheid policies and bring freedom and dignity to the people. One such story is told via an extract from my book about an Aboriginal pioneer for civil rights in Australia – William Cooper.
Continue reading “One Story Of Australia’s Connection With Nelson Mandela”
William Cooper’s Descendant Used “Bolt Law” To Challenge Racial Vilification
By Barbara Miller 10.12.13
‘We’re so pleased with the outcome, for all our people,’ said Dr Atkinson, an academic. ‘Especially for the younger people coming through, who really shouldn’t have to deal with that continual stuff to have to justify their identity.’[1]
This was the response of one of the applicants, Dr Wayne Atkinson, a descendant of pioneer Aboriginal civil rights campaigner, William Cooper. It referred to the case of Eatock v Bolt where columnist Andrew Bolt was successfully taken to court by a group of Aborigines using Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. Many conservatives were upset at the outcome and Attorney-General, Senator George Brandis, has set it as his first task in government to remove or weaken Section 18C which has become known as “Bolt’s law”.
There has been a flood of objections to the government’s plan to abolish or emasculate race hate laws. Leaders of Indigenous and ethnic groups have combined in signing a statement of concern about the proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act – the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the Arab Council of Australia, the Chinese Australian Forum, the Australian Hellenic Council, the Lebanese Muslim Association and the Armenian National Council of Australia.[2]
Continue reading “William Cooper’s Descendant Used “Bolt Law” To Challenge Racial Vilification”
PRESS RELEASE 28.6.13 Art Exhibition
Cairns will soon be celebrating NAIDOC Week and recognizing the contribution of Indigenous people to the life of the nation. An exciting new collection of Aboriginal art on the theme of Rainforest and Reef by rainforest Aboriginal artist Munganbana or Norman Miller will be exhibited during NAIDOC Week in the Cairns City Place. The work features landscapes, seascapes and riverscapes and features many of the animal, bird, plant and sea life of the region. The exhibition will be in the C.1907 Contemporary Artspace from 9-20 July from 10am – 6pm with free entry. An opening will be held on Thursday 11 July from 5.30-7.30pm with light refreshments at which Munganbana will be launching a “boomerang petition.” The art exhibition is sponsored by the Cairns Regional Council.
Munganbana says “I paint from who I am and I paint from the rich natural and cultural landscape that I am part of and which inspires me. I am inspired by my Creator, by my family and by my Aboriginal heritage as a member of the Jirrbal, Bar-Barrum and Tableland Yidinji tribes. I was born in Atherton and grew up at Wondecla in north Queensland. I am part of the rainforest Bama or people. My name is Munganbana which means ‘Mountain Water’ in the Jirrbal language. The name Mountain Water describes my work – powerful and peaceful – and the land from which I come – crystal cascades and volcanic lakes.”
The Australian – TV News Clips
The long road to recognition
http://video.theaustralian.com.au/2387640856/The-long-road-to-recognition
Healing journey for indigenous recognition
http://video.theaustralian.com.au/2387668562/Journey-for-indigenous-recognition?area=videoindex8
PRESS RELEASE 29 MAY 2013 RE PETITION FROM ABORIGINES TO QUEEN LAUNCHED
“Who would ever have thought that the grandson of Aboriginal rights campaigner William Cooper who tried to send a petition to King George V in 1938 would now be sending it to the King’s granddaughter Queen Elizabeth 11 in 2013, 75 years later. But that is exactly what Alf Turner (also known as Uncle Boydie) is doing” said Barbara Miller, part of a team helping him do it.
“Bipartisan support for the petition is rising” said Miller “with Opposition leader Tony Abbott signing it on the same day that the Journey to Recognition was launched at Federation Square in Melbourne. Education Minister Peter Garrett has also signed it as has Jeannette Powell, Victorian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and former Australian Democrats Senator Aden Ridgeway and AFL legend Michael Long. There are currently over 80 signatures on it.”
Continue reading “PRESS RELEASE 29 MAY 2013 RE PETITION FROM ABORIGINES TO QUEEN LAUNCHED”
Petition for Buckingham Palace – J-Wire
“The grandson of William Cooper, the aboriginal who led the only known private protest against Kristallnacht in 1938 is campaigning to send his grandfather’s petition to the Queen.”
Continue reading over at J-wire via the link below.
http://www.jwire.com.au/news/petition-for-buckingham-palace/34717