6 March 2008
Noel Fatnowna
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South Sea Islander Noel Fatnowna recalls growing up on the fringes of rural Queensland society, and his struggle to be accepted.
His grandfather came to work on the sugar cane fields near Mackay as indentured labour, 'blackbirded' from The Solomon Islands late in the 19th century. Noel was a child in the Depression and his family had to grow and catch their own food and work illegally cutting cane, always in fear of being caught by the authorities. The Kanaks, as they were known, have struggled to maintain their traditional beliefs and customs despite living in a white man's world and practising Christianity. Noel also tells some funny stories of how he got his revenge against the local white racists on the football field.
Presenter
Michelle Rayner
Producer
Michelle Rayner
