The Australian Bite

Fillies, birds and football

28 March 2009

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It’s fillies, birds and footy on this week’s Australian Bite. The AFL season has just kicked off, and we meet a team of very talented footballers from the Tiwi Islands, 80k north of Darwin, where its not all about winning – its as much about community. We also talk to one of the editors of a new book that looks at the relationship between Australian birds, people and environment. And we drop in on the small drought affected town of Ardlethan, which last weekend celebrated 5o years of its annual picnic races.

50 Years of Ardlethan Picnic Races

It was all fashions, fillies and friends when the small drought-affected community of Ardlethan, in south-west New South Wales, celebrated its 50th Picnic Race Meeting last weekend. A true country race meeting, the track runs around a paddock, with wheat sown on either side when the seasons allow. Anna Vidot was there, and she caught up some of the racegoers, including Justin O’Brien, the owner of the wheat paddock come race track.

More pictures of the event at http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2008/s2523930.htm

Learning from our Native Birds

“Boom and Bust – Bird Stories for a Dry Country” is the name of new book recently released by the the CSIRO – the Australian Scientific and Research Organisation. The book draws on the natural history of Australia’s many beautiful and fascinating birds to explore the relations between wildlife, people and environments. Dr Leo Joseph, Director of the CSIRO’s Australian National Wildlife Collection is one of the editors, and he talks to Heather Jarvis.

Find out more about the book here: www.publish.csiro.au/pid/6009.htm

Tiwi Islands Footy Talent

The Tiwi Islands lie 80 kilometres north of Darwin and are home to about two and a half thousand people. Over the years the islands have produced some outstanding AFL players for teams around the country. Two years ago, the Islands entered the Northern Territory league in their own right, as the Tiwi Bombers. A new documentary called “In a League of their Own” tracks the team’s trials and triumphs in their first year, as Sarah Dingle reports from Darwin.

Watch “In A League of Their Own” on ABC TV’s “Message Stick” site: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/messagestick/

Music (not in podcast)

Darwin born singer Jessica Mauboy has a great voice and in interesting heritage. Her father has a Timorese Indonesian background , while her mother is an Indigenous Australian. Her career has really taken off since she was runner up on the 2006 series of Australian Idol. This is the title track, and second single from her new album, Been Waiting.

Artist: Jessica Mauboy

Track: Been Waiting

Album: Been Waiting