First Australians

First Australians (2008)


  • Genre: Documentary
  • Creator: Rachel Perkins, Beck Cole
  • First Air Date: 2008-10-12
  • Last Air Date: 2008-11-02
  • Total Seasons: 1
  • Total Episodes: 7
  • Status: Ended
  • Episode Runtime: 60 min.
  • Networks: SBS
  • Director: Beck Cole

Summary

First Australians is an Australian historical documentary series produced by Blackfella Films over the course of six years, and first aired in October 2008. The documentary is part of a greater project that further consists of a hard-cover book, a community outreach program and a substantial website featuring over 200 mini-documentaries. The series chronicles the history of contemporary Australia, from the perspective of its first people, or Aborigines. The series is essentially a synthesis of well documented historical information. It relies heavily on archival documents and interpretations from historians and members of both the Indigenous and European community and leaders. The story begins in 1788 in Sydney, with the arrival of the First Fleet and ends in 1993 with Koiki Mabo's legal challenge to the foundation of Australia. The series comprises seven episodes in which it explores what unfolded when the oldest living culture in the world was confronted by the British Empire. It explores the lives of particular individuals and uses their stories as a vehicle to explain the larger situations of the time. It explains violent aspects of European settlement of Australia, such as killings, battles, wars, as well as acts of friendship and decency between the early European settlers and Indigenous Australians. Indigenous Australian history has until recently been clouded by the "great Australian silence" where ignorance of the real history of Australia can be seen as a way for non-Indigenous to hide shame for their own history. In this respect it has been controversial in that many of these stories have not been portrayed on Australian television before and the Indigenous Australian perspective of European settlement is confrontational for many.

Trailer

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First Australians Seasons

Season 1

First Air Date: 2008-10-12
7 Episodes

First Australians Episodes

Title Air Date Duration
Season 1Episode 1They Have Come to Stay50 min
Season 1Episode 2Her Will to Survive50 min
Season 1Episode 3Freedom for Our Lifetime50 min
Season 1Episode 4No Other Law50 min
Season 1Episode 5An Unhealthy Government Experiment50 min
Season 1Episode 6Strength to Stand a Long Time50 min
Season 1Episode 7We Are No Longer Shadows50 min
Production Rachel Perkins Producer
Writing Rachel Perkins Writer
Directing Beck Cole Director