The Australian Bite
A tale of convicts and cannibalism
8 October 2009
Listen and download: MP3
Feeling hungry? Well hopefully not so much as the miserable bunch of escapees featured in the new Australian film Van Diemen’s Land. The film tells the story of Alexander Pearce, the only survivor of a small group convicts who escaped into the Tasmanian wilderness and turned to cannibalism, and we meet the film’s director, Jonathan auf der Heide on this week’s Australian Bite. We also find out why many former inmates of Australia’s immigration detention centres are breathing a collective sigh of relief, and hear how Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service has hit the runway in a popular mobile phone game.
An end to detention debt
Up until recently, asylum seekers in Australia were charged $125.40 for every day they were kept in an immigration detention centre. But following changes passed by the Australian parliament, detention charges on asylum seekers have now been abolished. That’s good news for thousands of refugees across Australia, including Ali Bakhtiarvandi, whose debt of $223,000 has now been wiped. He speaks to reporter Irene Scott from the ABC’s youth radio network Triple J. Also in this report, the Minister for Immigration, Senator Chris Evans, and Liberal Party Senators Judith Troeth (who crossed the floor to vote in favour of the bill) and Eric Abetz (who voted against it).
See more on Irene’s story here at the Triple J Hack website.
Flying Doctors get in on the game
It’s not often a charity gets global exposure through a mobile phone game, but that’s what’s happened for the Royal Flying Doctor Service – an organisation that provides emergency air ambulances and primary health care services to people living in rural and remote areas. The flying Doctors service has scored a starring role in one of the world’s most popular phone applications – Flight Control – giving it free exposure to millions of people around the world. It’s one of the first times a charity has collaborated with the rapidly expanding mobile phone game industry. Will Ockenden speaks with Alex Peters from the Melbourne based game development studio, Firemint, and Nicole Dunham from the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
You can watch a gameplay video of Flight Control here
Find out more about the Royal Flying Doctor Service here
Van Diemen’s Land – a dark tale of convicts and cannibalism
Van Diemen’s Land is a new Australian film telling the true story of the convict, Alexander Pearce. Pearce was an Irishman transported to Australia. A repeat offender, he ended up being sent to Macquarie Harbour in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) from where he escaped with seven other convicts. Three of the escapees soon dropped out, the rest continued on, but only one man Alexander Pearce, survived . . . by eating his companions. Michael Cathcart spoke with the co-writer and director Van Diemen’s Land, Jonathan auf der Heide.
Van Diemen’s Land official website
Music (not in podcast)
Sydney hip hop crew Astronomy Class like to mix reggae flavours with their beats. This track features Melbourne vocalist Vyda Sunshine. It is called On Your Mind and is taken from their new album Pursuit of Happiness.
Artist: Astronomy Class
Track: On Your Mind (feat. Vyda Sunshine)
Album: Pursuit of Happiness (2009)
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