The Australian Bite

Mums push for island births

7 May 2009

Listen and download: MP3

It’s babies and diamonds on this week’s Australian Bite.  We’ll find out why the women of Palm Island, off the coast of Queensland, want birthing services restored at their local hospital. We’ll meet a young surrogate mother who had a baby for her sister at the age of 16. And blue diamonds – they’re very very rare, and equally expensive.  We travel to Perth to look at a recent release of precious blue diamonds from the Argyle mine in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.

Blue diamonds shine despite gloomy economic times

There might be a global economic downturn, but it seems that the rich and famous still have money to splash around, as a recent release of very rare blue and violet diamonds produced by the Argyle Diamond mine in Western Australia’s Kimberley region has shown. The release of the so-called “Once in a Blue Moon” collection, set record prices after it was showcased in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Perth recently. And Babs McHugh – who doesn’t herself even own a diamond – somehow snuck into the showcase event – which was attended by a very select set of invited buyers, and spoke with Argyle Diamonds’ Jo Archer and Kevin McLeish.

You can see photos of the diamonds, and hear more of Babs’ interviews about them at the ABC Rural website: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2008/s2542652.htm

 You can read a 2005 press release from the Australian Government’s National Native Title Tribunal about the Argyle Diamond Mine’s agreement with indigenous people here:  http://www.nntt.gov.au/News-and-Communications/Media-Releases/Pages/Argyle_agreement_ensures_recognition_and.aspx

Check out an aerial view of the Argyle Diamond Mine here  And where in Australia is it?   (Both on Google maps) 

Palm Island mothers push for local births

Seven years ago, the women of Palm Island, off the coast of Queensland, had birthing services on island at the local hospital. But these days those services are no longer available, and the mostly indigenous women are faced with having to travel to the mainland to have their babies. However they’re pushing to get their old service back. Kathy Cogo visits Palm island and talks to local mother Sophie; Midwife practitioner Alex Gosden; Theresa Creed and Joyce Palmer from the local Health Service; Ruth Gorringe from the Palm Island Council; mother Pauline Shortjoe, and Sue Kildea from the Council of Remote Area Nurses

You can see photos and read Kathy Cogo’s article about this issue at the ABC Rural website:  http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2008/s2555831.htm

Giving birth for the love of a sister

“Nicole” (not her real name) watched her sister’s body let her down as she and her husband tried for six years to have a baby. After about 20 miscarriages and 2 failed adoptions, her sister was ready to give up. So Nicole started researching surrogacy and offered to have the baby for her during Year 12 – her final year of high school – when she was just sixteen years old. Kaitlyn Sawrey talks to Nicole about why she did it, and what were the difficulties and emotions she experienced along the way. 

This story was originally broadast on JJJ’s “Hack” program.

Music (not in podcast)

Singer/songwriter Kevin Mitchell first came into the public eye as lead singer with the Perth rock band Jebediah. Then a few years back he created his alter ego Bob Evans, as a side project. Kevin has recently released his second album as Bob Evans. It’s called Goodbye Bull Creek! after the suburb of Perth where he grew up. This second single from the album, Pasha Bulker, is a song that takes its name from the ship that ran aground off the coast of Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1997, leaking over seven hundred tonnes of fuel oil and causing an environmental disaster.
Artist: Bob Evans
Track: Pasha Bulker
Album: Goodnight Bull Creek! (2009)