The Australian Bite

Mining, comedy and a welcome to country

29 April 2010

Listen and download: MP3

This week on the Australian Bite, aboriginal elder Richard Walley explains the significance of the Welcome to Country ceremony performed at a growing number of public events in Australia. We talk to journalist Kathy Marks who has written a very interesting essay on the history of mining in Australia and how it has shaped the way we think, and meet Nazeem Hussein, from the comedy duo, “Fear of a Brown Planet.”

Essay sheds light on mining in Australia

Australia is in the midst of a mining boom, created by huge overseas demand for Australian minerals. So it’s very timely that journalist Kathy Marks has written an interesting and insightful essay on the history of mining in Australia and how it has shaped the way we think. The essay is called “Tears of the Sun” and it’s published in this month’s Griffith Review – a quarterly publication from Queensland’s Griffith University. Kathy Marks speaks with Michael Cathcart.

You can hear an extended version of this interview at the ABC Bush Telegraph website

You can read an extract from the essay at the Griffith Review website

“Welcome to Country” explained

Over recent years, it has become more and more common for public events to be opened with a “Welcome to Country” Ceremony, in which local Aboriginal custodians or elders welcome people to their traditional land. These ceremonies can include singing, dancing, smoking ceremonies or a speech in traditional language or English. They’re embraced by many people as an important gesture of reconciliation and a way of recognising the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to their country. But there are those who see the whole process as tokenism, or worse still, something just recently invented for the sake of political correctness. Babs McHugh asks Aboriginal elder Dr Richard Walley for his thoughts on the matter.

You can find out more about “Welcome to Country” ceremonies at the Reconciliation Australia website. 

Comedian Nazeem Hussain – Fear of a Brown Planet

Comedians Aamer Rahman and Nazeem Hussain are Fear of a Brown Planet, recipients of the Best Newcomer Award at the 2008 Melbourne Comedy Festival.  After two years away, Aamer and Nazeem are back with a brand new show – Fear of a Brown Planet Returns. Tackling the topics of immigration, race relations, and the War on Terror head on, Fear of a Brown Planet Returns is about to hit the stage in Sydney after a successful run at last month’s Melbourne Comedy Festival. Nazeem Hussain speaks with Derek Guille from ABC local radio in Melbourne.

You can watch the trailer for Fear of a Brown Planet Returns below on YouTube

Music (not in podcast)

The John Butler Trio with Close to You from their latest album April Uprising – released on Butler’s own record label Jarrah Records.

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