The Old Man and the Inland Sea: No trees

Title:

The Old Man and the Inland Sea: No trees

NFSA ID

1021251

Year

2006

Warnings

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that the following program may contain images and/or audio of deceased persons

Summary

In a sweeping shot of the mining fields, hills of ore dot the landscape. Mr Norman Hayes Jagamarra, sitting in this landscape, speaks to camera about how he moved to Coober Pedy after first droving, and then brick making work dried up. He says on the first morning when he woke up in Coober Pedy he was struck by the fact that there were no trees. Summary by Romaine Moreton.

CURATOR'S NOTES

A simple yarn around the campfire introduces the experience of Mr Norman Hayes Jagamarra in the Coober Pedy opal fields.

The Old Man and The Inland Sea synopsis

A documentary about Mr Norman Hayes Jagamarra who was a 'noodler’ on the mining fields of Coober Pedy.

The Old Man and The Inland Sea curator's notes

Norman Hayes Jagamarra takes us back to the mining fields of Coober Pedy where he was a noodler after droving and brick making work dried up in his young years. An interesting tale of one man’s experience of noodling, and the sense of community he shared with other Indigenous people whilst doing this work. Most importantly, he refers to the old people who were already there, and gives recognition to the Indigenous people of the area. It allows us to ponder the effects of the dispossession that opal mining caused for the peoples who were the original custodians of the Coober Pedy area.

This program has also screened on NITV, National Indigenous Television.

Notes by Romaine Moreton