In the late 1800s Indian labourers were sent to work in Fiji in the sugar cane farms as indentured workers. Following the 1987 military coup and the coups that followed many have moved to Australia. According to the 2011 Census 57,000 Fijian born people live in Australia and of this 36,000 are Indian.

For this episode I recommend: www.girmitunited.org  – a website dedicated to preserving the history of the Indian Fijians.

You can always email me at jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

For more than 20,000 years the Snowy region was home to the Ngarigo people and a number of other Aboriginal peoples.  White settlement meant that in the 1800s the Ngarigo people were forced from their lands.

Up until the mid 20^th century the Snowy was the province of farmers and high country horsemen as immortalised on Banjo Patterson’s poem The Man from Snowy River.

But after WWII, it was populate or perish and in this environment the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electricity Scheme was built.  Over 100,000 people from over thirty countries came to the mountains to work on the Scheme.

For this episode I recommend you read or listen to The Man from Snowy River:

http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/paterson-a-b-banjo/the-man-from-snowy-river-0001004

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs_-DKUimeo

 Email me at: jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

 Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

 Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

We continue our two part series on how Australia’s system of Government works. In this episode we cover:

·      how the House of Representatives and the Senate work;

·      how a new law is created and passed by the Parliament; and

·      how do we keep the Government honest?

Then we take a brief look at one of the founders of Australian democracy and the federal Australian Labor Party, King O’Malley

For this episode I recommend you watch Question Time from the House of Representatives at:  http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives

 Email me at: jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

This is Part 1 of a two part series on Australia’s system of Government. After white settlement the colony of New South Wales was divided up into the six colonies of Australia. Each of these colonies formed their own Governments and reported directly back to Britain.

From the 1850s, however, there became a view that the colonies of Australia should federate to form a new nation of Australia. On 1 January 1901 Australia did federate to form the Commonwealth of Australia.  Australia adopted a hybrid model taking bits from the British Westminster and American Federal systems.

For this episode visit the Australian Parliament House website at: http://www.aph.gov.au

Email me at: jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

The first German people arrived in Australia on the First Fleet in 1788.  Despite this, when World War I was declared around 4500 German-Australians found themselves interned in camps for the duration of the war.

For more information check out the Migration Heritage of New South Wales website at www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au  and the National Archives of Australia website at: http://naa.gov.au/collection/snapshots/internment-camps/index.aspx

Email me at: jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

The first Jewish people to come to Australia arrived on the First Fleet on 26 January 1788. Among the 827 convicts on the English First Fleet were at least 8 and possibly up to 14 or 15 British convicts who were Jewish.

On board was Esther Abrahams. Esther would go on to become the First Lady of the Colony of New South Wales and an important landholder and farmer in her own right.

Over the past few hundred years there have been several waves of Jewish migration to Australia.  More recently after the Second World War Australia accepted significant numbers of Jewish refugees from war ravaged Europe. 

For this episode I recommend the excellent Australian history podcast Last Stop to Nowhere hosted by Michael Sloan and Kyle Sherer. You can download it from ITunes.

Check out the Sydney Jewish Museum’s website: www.sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au 

Also have a listen to Renee Geyer singing Heading in the Right Direction – such a beautiful voice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjYfkswK_yssp

Finally, read the Australian Geographic article on the discovery of an 18^th Century Chinese coin found on Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory:

http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2014/08/18th-century-chinese-coin-found-in-arnhem-land

Email me at: jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

In this episode we explore the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples before the arrival of white European settlers. We also look at first contact with Europeans – the Dutch explorers and finally the British. I use the Aussie rock band Goanna’s song Solid Rock to tie the episode together.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should execise caution if listening to this episode as it may contain the names of people who have passed away.

Check out a YouTube clip of Goanna performing Solid Rock on Countdown (an Australian TV music show of the 1970s and 1980s):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t94RBuiOgsA

Another great Aussie Song is Christine Anu’s version of My Island Home. The video is from the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDyc-T2AYt4

Email me at: jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

In this episode we consider ten sometimes strange but true facts about Australia. These are:

• Australia really is populated by extremely dangerous animals that can and will kill you
• Australia was established as a penal colony
• The Prime Minister is missing
• Our strange ‘population’
• Giving women the vote
• How much can a koala bear?
• Australians love a good fence
• We eat our coat of arms
• We have a Queen - Australia is a Monarchy

For this episode I recommend thee movie Rabbit Proof Fence and also check out the Northern Territory News – it’s bound to have a croc story. Check out their web page at: http://www.ntnews.com.au/

Email me at: jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

AWP-07-Sugar Slaves and the Eurovision Song Contest

This deplorable part of Australian history is not widely known about. Between 1863 and 1904, some 62,000 South Sea Islanders were brought to Australia as indentured labour, and some say as slaves, to work on the cane fields in Queensland. It was on their backs that the Queensland sugar industry was built.

Despite the hardships, many Australians of South Sea Islander heritage have achieved a high profile in the community as civil rights activists, in politics and sport. We focus on one of the great Rugby League players of all time Mal Meninga.

Then we turn our attention to the Eurovision Cong Contest. Every year, around a million Australians tune into Eurovision. This year was special as Australian singer Jessica Mauboy was given the honour of performing at Eurovision as a guest artist.

Check out:

‘Sugar Slaves’ by Imelda Miller (2010) http://www.qhatlas.com.au/content/sugar-slaves

George Negus Tonight interview first broadcast on 13/09/2004. Transcript at: http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s1197807.htm

The ABC article ‘A Form of Slavery’:

http://www.abc.net.au/federation/fedstory/ep2/ep2_people.htm

Jessica Mauboy’s appearance at Eurovision:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUsJi8nKsj0

Email me at: jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

AWP-06-Famous Chinese-Australians

In this episode we take a peak at four remarkable Chinese-Australians. These are:Billy Sing the decorated WWI war hero; Helene Chung the journalist and author; Dr Victor Chang the path breaking heart surgeon, whose life was so tragically cut short; and Penny Wong the Australian politician and former Government Minister.

For this episode I recommend Helene Chung’s book Ching Chong China Girl – from fruit shop to foreign correspondent. You can buy a copy by following the links from Helene Chung’s website: http://www.helenechung.com

Music by Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production and Mr Laszlo Montgomery for continued encouragement and advice.

Email me at jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

AWP-05-The Chinese and the Gold Rush

Ni Hao!

The Gold Rushes of the 1850s bought the first large numbers of Chinese settlers to Australia.  Before 1850 fewer than 50 or so Chinese migrants had come to Australia, but by the early 1860s this number had risen to 40,000. Many came out as bonded labourers having to work long hours mining for gold to pay off their fare.

The Chinese have had a great influence on Australian culture and of course cuisine. On the goldfields, however, they faced discrimination and violence. Two of the most infamous cases were the Lambing Flat Riots and the Buckland Riot.

This month’s recommendation is The Rise and Fall of China by the late Professor Richard Baum. The audio book may be downloaded from: http://www.audible.com/

Also check out:

• Bill Richardson’s article on Gavin Menzies’ claims at: http://www.1421exposed.com/html/imaginography.html

• Laszlo Montgomery’s China Histroy Podcast on the remarkable life of Admiral Zheng He at: http://www.1421exposed.com/html/imaginography.html

 Music by Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

AWP Episode 4 - The Dunera Boys

On 10 July 1940, 2,542 detainees, all classified as ‘enemy aliens’, were placed on the HMT Dunera in Liverpool the United Kingdom and 57 days later they docked at Sydney Harbour.  On board were over 2,000 male Jewish refugees who had fled Nazi Germany. Conditions on board were appalling and during the voyage these men were badly mistreated by their guards with many beaten.

Despite this, a large number of the ‘Dunera Boys’ remained in Australia, made a life for themselves and alos contributed greatly to Australian science, academia and culture. 

One of the Sources used for this episode: Ken Inglis “From Berlin to the Bush” Monthly, August 2010.  http://www.themonthly.com.au/monthly-essays-ken-inglis-berlin-bush--2638

The recommendation for this month is “A Bridge Too Far” by Cornelius Ryan.

Music by Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier, jet engine extraordinaire for post-production.

 Email me at: jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

Aussie Waves Podcast Episode 3:The Afghan Cameleers

This episode tells the story of the Cameleers who with their camels played a critical role in opening up inland Australia from the 1860s until the early 1900s.  Their story is one of hardship and discrimination. 

The invention of the internal combustion engine eventually secured the end of the Cameleer era. By the late 1920s there were almost no cameleers left plying the inland.

For more information on the cameleers go to http://www.cameleers.net/

Music by Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post production.

Episode 2 of the Aussie Waves Podcast with James Dampier.  In this episode we look at 'Ten Pound Poms'. 

After World War II around a million people migrated to Australia from the British Isles under an assisted migration scheme. Thr cost of the boat trip out to Australia was ten pound sterling. Hence the term 'Ten Pound Poms'. These people made a great contribution to Australia and their children continue to do so. While many made a great life for themsleves, it wasn't all beer and skittles. 

This month's recommendation is the History of England Podcast by David Crowther. You can download from iTunes or at:  http://historyofengland.typepad.com/

If you want to email me I can be contacted at jamesdampier.awp@gmail.com

Music by Dan-O at: danosongs.com 

Welcome to The Aussie Waves Podcast by James Dampier.  The Aussie Waves Podcast tells Australian history though the lens of all those peoples who have made the journey from other lands to call Australia home.  Episode 1 is a short introductory episode.

Each week I will make a recommendation. This week's it is Laszlo Mongometry's China Histroy Podcast.  Visit the CHP webssite at: http://chinahistorypodcast.com