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Captain Cook's Realization
This event is remarkably significant in relation to Rolf De Heer's 'The Tracker' becuase at this point in time. Captain Cook had arrived at Botany Bay when he had an encounter with the native Australians. His orders were "with consent to the natives, take possession of convineint situations in the name of the King...or if you find land uninhabitited, take possession for His Majesty". But his observations were that "all they seem'd to want, was us gone". This represents the theme of invasion, in -
Conflict
Between this time period,much conflict arrouse. Between the 18th, 19th and 20th, a total of nine ships carrying European convicts arrived at Botany Bay. The Aboriginals watched as the boats came ashore. Come February and the first gunshots had been fired upon the Aboriginals by the French. Many more vilent outbreaks occur until finally, in December, Arabanoo (featured in the picture) became the first aborginal taken captive. This relates the 'The Tracker" in that The Tracker did show resistance -
The Fugitive/Pemulwuy
The man featured above is an Aboriginal named Pumulwuy. Pumulwuy shows incredible resemblence to The Fugitve in his actions. In Septmeber 1790, Pemulwuy speared Captain Phillip's gamekeeper. Captain Phillip and John McEntire order the first punitive expedition against and Australian Aboriginal. Unlike The Fugitive Pumulwuy went on to create a resistance campaign which lasted seven years. The similarity between Captain Phillip and The Fanatic is they both highlight the the of VENGENCE. -
Cultural Exposure
Benelong and Yemmerrawanie are shipped to England to perform what we now know as the first Aboriginal song played in Europe. This relates to The Tracker in that much like The Tracker himself was exposed to the foreign culture in a forced way, so too were Benelong and Yemmerawanie. -
Unecessary Violence
At this time the Govenor King ordered that a fleet of white Australians clear the Aboriginals that are coming too close to their settlements. This also demonstrates the them of violence that was present in the movie through The Fanatic and evidently throughout actual history. -
Legacy
On this date, Pemulwuy (the leader of the aboriginal guerilla campaign) was shot and killed. However his son Tedbury continues the resistance. This relates to The Tracker throough the theme of legacy. Both through Tedbury and The Follower, the idea of Aboriginal equality was handed down, and then lived on through those individuals. -
Bungaree
Bungaree is similar to The Tracker in many ways. Bungaree was the first documented Aboriginal to circumnavigate Australia. he did so with Matthew Flinders and changed the way white society looked at Aboriginal people. Much like Bungaree, The Tracker managed to change the way The Follower looked at Aboriginal people, -
"Education"
Throughout this year, white Australians began to move Aboriginals into mission stations where they were "educated" on how to live the "right" way. This reflects the theme of righteousness displayed in The Tracker. The fanatic believed it was his duty as a white Australian to educate the Aboriginals on how to live, and to cull those who rejected the idea. -
Fighting Back
At this point in time, Aborignals walked away from their work at Wave Hill cattle station and protested against the unfair wages and workload. This is much like the dipute that arrises between The Tracker and The Follower and The Fanatic. Both The Follower and The Tracker stand up for what they believe in. -
The 1967 Commonwealth Referendum
At this point in time, there was a 90% vote to allow the Aboriginal people vote and be counted in the census. This theme of unity between societies is evident in the relationship between The Tracker and The Follower.
