from little things big things grow
Activity one
Read and view the following representations of this incident
In pairs, make a table listing these texts and analysing their qualities, considering
- A web page containing a fact sheet about the Wave Hill walk-off from the National Archives http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs224.aspx
- A Short film from Screen Australia’s National Treasures series http://www.nfsa.gov.au/digitallearning/heritage/wattie_creek.html
- The Youtube clip of Gough Whitlam giving leasehold title to Vincent Lingiari, representative of the Gurindgi people http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdpVBHxpArI
In pairs, make a table listing these texts and analysing their qualities, considering
- who has created the text for what purpose(s) and for which audience(s)
- how it has been structured to achieve its purpose and engage the audience and
- its use of language.
activity two
Read the lyrics to the songs below by Ted Egan and Kev Carmody & Paul Kelly:
the gurindji bluesPoor bugger me, Gurindji
My name is Vincent Lingiari, came from Daruragu, Wattie Creek station. Me bin sit down this country Long time before the Lord Vestey Allabout land belongin' to we Oh poor bugger me, Gurindji. Poor bugger blackfeller; Gurindji Long time work no wages, we, Work for the good old Lord Vestey Little bit flour; sugar and tea For the Gurindji, from Lord Vestey Oh poor bugger me. Poor bugger me, Gurindji, Man called Vincent Lingiari Talk long allabout Gurindji 'Daguragu place for we, Home for we, Gurindji: But poor bugger blackfeller, Gurindji Government boss him talk long we 'We'll build you house with electricity But at Wave Hill, for can't you see Wattie Creek belong to Lord Vestey' Oh poor bugger me. Poor bugger me, Gurindji Up come Mr: Frank Hardy ABSCHOL too and talk long we Givit hand long Gurindji Buildim house and plantim tree Longa Wattie Creek for Gurindji But poor bugger blackfeller Gurindji Government Law him talk long we 'Can't givit land long blackfeller, see Only spoilim Gurindji' Oh poor bugger me. Poor bugger me, Gurindji Peter Nixon talk long we: 'Buy you own land, Gurindji Buyim back from the Lord Vestey' Oh poor bugger me, Gurindji. Poor bugger blackfeller Gurindji Suppose we buyim back country What you reckon proper fee? Might be flour, sugar and tea From the Gurindji to Lord Vestey? Oh poor bugger me. Oh ngaiyu luyurr ngura-u Sorry my country, Gurindji. |
from little things big things growGather round people I’ll tell you a story
An eight year long story of power and pride British Lord Vestey and Vincent Lingiari Were opposite men on opposite sides Vestey was fat with money and muscle Beef was his business, broad was his door Vincent was lean and spoke very little He had no bank balance, hard dirt was his floor From little things big things grow From little things big things grow Gurindji were working for nothing but rations Where once they had gathered the wealth of the land Daily the pressure got tighter and tighter Gurindji decided they must make a stand They picked up their swags and started off walking At Wattie Creek they sat themselves down Now it don't sound like much but it sure got tongues talking Back at the homestead and then in the town From little things big things grow From little things big things grow Vestey man said "I'll double your wages Seven quid a week you'll have in your hand" Vincent said "Uhuh we're not talking about wages We're sitting right here till we get our land" Vestey man roared and Vestey man thundered "You don't stand the chance of a cinder in snow!" Vince said "If we fall others are rising From little things big things grow From little things big things grow Then Vincent Lingiari boarded an airplane Landed in Sydney, big city of lights And daily he went round softly speaking his story To all kinds of men from all walks of life And Vincent sat down with big politicians "This affair", they told him, "it's a matter of state Let us sort it out, your people are hungry" Vincent said "No thanks, we know how to wait" From little things big things grow From little things big things grow Then Vincent Lingiari returned in an airplane Back to his country once more to sit down And he told his people "Let the stars keep on turning We have friends in the south, in the cities and towns" Eight years went by, eight long years of waiting 'Til one day a tall stranger appeared in the land And he came with lawyers and he came with great ceremony And through Vincent's fingers poured a handful of sand From little things big things grow From little things big things grow That was the story of Vincent Lingiari But this is the story of something much more How power and privilege cannot move a people Who know where they stand and stand in the law From little things big things grow From little things big things grow |
Now listen to:
Debate with the person next to you, which is the more effective protest song?
Watch the advertisement for Industry Superfunds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWMLlJ6QOKw
Note: Superannuation is the money you put away during your working life to ensure you have enough for your years of retirement. Your employer is obliged to pay an amount of money, broadly based on your salary to supplement these savings if you retire over a certain age.
Class discussion:
- The Gurindji Blues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdLIlyhLewI
Written in 1969 by Ted Egan and recorded then by Galarrwuy Yunupingu, this recording of the song sold 20,000 copies and it financed the tent embassy in Canberra for its first six months. - From Little Things Big Things Grow, first played in 1991 by Paul Kelly and The Messengers and then by Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly in 1993 on Paul Kelly's album Bloodlines.
Debate with the person next to you, which is the more effective protest song?
Watch the advertisement for Industry Superfunds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWMLlJ6QOKw
Note: Superannuation is the money you put away during your working life to ensure you have enough for your years of retirement. Your employer is obliged to pay an amount of money, broadly based on your salary to supplement these savings if you retire over a certain age.
Class discussion:
- Why do you think Paul Kelly’s song was chosen as the signature tune for this group of companies?
- How does the advertisement keep to and/or work against the original intention of the song?
- To what extent does changing the purpose and context of art damage its message?
activity three
Your class is producing one episode of a television series called “Behind the Scene” in which iconic images from Australian history are fleshed out with the actions and motivations of people associated with the event.
In groups of 2 or 3 choose one of the following
In groups of 2 or 3 choose one of the following
- Gough Whitlam
- Vincent Lingiari
- Lord Vestey
- workers from the Gurindji
- the photographer of this image, Mervyn Bishop.
