The Australian Bite
Aussie Rules, food waste & music of the Torres Strait
3 June 2010
Listen and download: MP3
Australians throw away 3 million tonnes of food every year at a time when a growing number of people are lining up for food aid. This week on the Australian Bite, we’ll hear how two organisations have joined together to rescue food that businesses are thowing away, and deliver it to charities in Sydney. We’ll also have a chat about the place of football and netball in rural community life with mother of fifteen, Marie Clark. And musicologist Karl Neuenfeldt talks about his work recording and researching the music of the Torres Strait islands.
“Feed Sydney” – saving food for those who need it
Australians throw away 3 million tonnes of food every year. Yet over the same period, 2 million Australians will need food aid at some point. So several services are now rescuing food from businesses that are discarding it, and delivering it to charities. But despite their best efforts they don’t have the resources to go to every supermarket or every restaurant every day. Now several charities and businesses are getting together to raise money to provide an extra two hundred and fifty thousand meals for hungry Australians. Meredith Griffiths reports
You can find out more about the Feed Sydney initiative at the Oz Harvest and Do Something websites.
Football, netball & life in a rural community
Wedged between valleys of granite rock and fields of canola lies the the tiny township of Waubra, Victoria. Just over 30 kilometres north west of Ballarat, Waubra is home to around 500 people, it has a pub, a general store and a great big wind farm – the biggest in the southern hemisphere. Like in many country towns in Victoria, when autumn arrives Waubra’s attention turns to the local football oval – home to the Roos, the Waubra Football Netball Club. Dashiell Lawrence paid a visit to Waubra on game day, and met local footy and netball mum (and grandmother) Marie Clark.
You can see more pictures and listen to Dashiel’s interviews with Marie and another Waubra club stalwart, Mick McDonald, at the ABC Ballarat website
Recording the sounds of the Torres Strait Islands
The National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra recently announced the winner of the inaugural Cochrane-Smith Sound Heritage Award, named in honour of Tasmanian Aboriginal woman, Fanny Cochrane Smith who recorded the songs of her own people in the 1890′s. The Cochrane Smith Award recognises those who have made a significant contribution to the preservation, survival, and recognition of sound heritage. Dr Karl Neuenfeldt, from Central Queensland University’s School of Humanities and Communication won the award for his work in recording and researching the music and culture of the Torres Strait. He speaks to Rhianna Patrick from ABC Local Radio’s Speaking Out program.
You can read more about the Cochrane-Smith Sound Heritage Award, and the work of Dr Karl Neuenfeldt at the National Film and Sound Archive website.
As mentioned in the interview, nusician, producer and sound engineer Will Kepa works with Karl Neuenfeldt recording Torres Strait Islander music.
Music (not in podcast)
On the album Islander, Cygnet Repu presents exciting examples of the unique musics and languages of Torres Strait. The album was produced by Will Kepa, Karl Neuenfeldt and Nigel Pegrum. You can listen to the song We Sing Kumbaya – featured on this week’s program here
Artist: Cygnet Repu
Track: We Sing Kumbaya
Album: Islander
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