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Small Island Big Fight

Explores the economic and spiritual relationship of Murray Islanders to the sea, a relationship threatened by outside commercial fishing interests.
Year : 2000 | Total Duration : 24.5 Minutes | Producer : Rosemary Hesp (Producer), Trevor Graham (Co-Producer)
Director : Aven S Noah |
WS ocean, sand, blue sky and white clouds. Fisherman throwing net into water from boat and hauling catch of small sardines onto boat. Aven Noah fishing with a hand held line in shallow water. Good underwater shot of coral and small tropical fish. Two men sitting on beach and playing guitars, man rowing with two child in small row boat. Quick shots of tropical coastline.
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Access No. 128373 | 27 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA & National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Mabo Land Rights Case with lawyers and other people in court room
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Access No. 128376 | 5 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © Yarra Bank Films Pty Ltd | Colour |
Small child sitting on doorstep then runs inside house, WS of tropical village, dancers with shark masks on face, fish being hauled onto boat, commercial fishing boat at sea, man driving small outboard motor boat. Single seabird in flight silhouetted against grey sky
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Access No. 128377 | 40 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Aerial of Murray Island and Meriam group of islands in Torres Strait, aerial over coastline
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Access No. 128378 | 19 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © Yarra Bank Films Pty Ltd | Colour |
WS of open sea, ocean, WS of green hillside dotted with white houses and ocean, VS of stone walled fish traps believed to be 3000 years old. Ron Day, Chairman Mer Island Community Council describes the workings of the fish traps to two children. CU on profile of young Meriam girl. Children walking over beach at low tide. Family walking on beach at low tide with buckets in hand. Ron Day speaks to camera about fishing permissions. Pan to fish trap rock wall,
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Access No. 128379 | 1 min 11 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Good low angle LS of water lapping a sandy beach, high angle LS a white church in a tropical beach setting. Priest in white robes delivering sermon to congregation. Pan of Meriam islanders singing in congregation. LS of islanders walking along street, women and children at a feast. Man pulling row boat of two women and child in shallow clear waters
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Access No. 128382 | 38 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Tilt up body of fisherman in silhouette and standing in shallow water. WS of three men fishing on beach at sunset
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Access No. 128383 | 8 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © Yarra Bank Films Pty Ltd | Colour |
MS of man driving small outboard motor boat, ocean and island from travelling boat. Two men on boat. Good CU of air bubbles in water, quick underwater shot of man snorkelling, CU flashing electronic numbers on a cash register. Shop assistant giving change and serving customer in grocery store. CU on box of groceries. VS of Mer Islanders, people walking along village street.
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Access No. 128384 | 43 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Ron Day, Chairman Mer Island Community Council speaks to camera about finding ways for Meriam Islanders to survive other than welfare. Three young islanders walking along street. Underwater shot of swimmer on surface of water in wet suit and using snorkel. Underwater CU of hand picking up a Beche De Mer (sea cucumber) from ocean floor and bringing it up to boat.
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Access No. 128385 | 26 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Underwater coral, small fish, man diving to ocean floor collecting Beche De Mer (sea cucumber). Murray Islander, Meb Salee is his shed with barrel of Beche de Mer. His business is harvesting these sea cucumbers. He speaks to camera about the problems of making money on Murray Island. Good underwater shot of diver collecting Beche de Mer from amongst colourful coral. Good high angle shot looking down on diver in wet suit. Meb and another man unload harvest from boat
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Access No. 128386 | 1 min 10 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
CU on knife cutting open Beche de Mer sea cucumber, processing and preparing for export as a rare delicacy to Asia. Two men in silhouette on palm lined beach. Good WS of clear blue waters with island in distance and single snorkeller swimming on surface.
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Access No. 128387 | 27 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Four men dragging dead turtle onto beach and place onto fire in sand. They shovel hot rocks onto open turtle carcass and cook turtle
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Access No. 128388 | 9 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © Yarra Bank Films Pty Ltd | Colour |
Map showing Erub (Darnley Island) and Mer (Murray Island). Zoom out to map of the region with traditional waters highlighted. David Haigh, Senior Lecturer in Law, James Cook University, speaks to camera about the Murray Islanders cultural history defining the marine areas
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Access No. 128389 | 17 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Archival B&W footage of boys with large shells to their mouths on canoe, and outrigger canoe in water. Single boy bailing water from canoe.
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Access No. 128390 | 17 secs | 1930s | Qld, Australia | © National Film and Sound Archive | B&W |
David Haigh, Senior Lecturer in Law, James Cook University, to camera about the importance of the Murray islanders having their marine rights clearly defined. Map of the Torres Strait region highlighting the area protected by Torres Strait Treaty recognising fishing rights and boundaries. Man fishing from boat. David Haigh to camera. VS of a commercial fishing boat at sea. CU of hands on steering wheel of boat, CU of bow of boat, row of boats in tow.
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Access No. 128391 | 1 min 20 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Carl D'Aguiar, commercial fisherman to camera speaks about his fishing business in the Torres Strait. VS of crew at work on boat. Murray Islander, Kila Odo, runs a one boat fishing business in the same waters. CU of Kila baiting hooks and hand line fishing from boat. He discusses the difficulty of competing with commercial fishermen. LS of commercial fisherman in outboard boat. Kila pulling up a coral trout fish onto boat with hand held line. VS of Murray Islanders gutting, cleaning, filleting and bagging fish for freezer
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Access No. 128399 | 2 mins 20 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Ron Day, Chairman Mer Island Community Council talks of making a sustainable industry from marine resources through Murray Island controls. Good sunset / sunrise shot of beach, with low level rain clouds and distant rain.
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Access No. 128402 | 27 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © NFSA & National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
CU of feet wading through water and tilt up to Eddie Koiki Mabo holding a fishing spear. Eddie Mabo speaks to camera about the utilising the land and sea resources together
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Access No. 128403 | 26 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © Yarra Bank Films Pty Ltd | Colour |
Underwater shot of coral and tiny fish - sardines
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Access No. 128404 | 11 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Eddie Koiki Mabo to camera objecting to commercial fishing being allowed in waters around Murray Island
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Access No. 128407 | 11 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © Yarra Bank Films Pty Ltd | Colour |
Commercial fisherman on outboard motor boat with larger fishing vessel in background. Two men talking on tropical beach then MS of same. Commercial fisherman, Carl D'Aguiar, speaks of commercial interests acknowledging the reefs close to the islands as home reefs and not fishing them. Kila Odo on boat hand fishing claims that commercial fishermen fish close to the islands and calls commercial fishermen invaders. VS of commercial fisherman.
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Access No. 128408 | 1 min 40 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Archival B&W drawing of tall ships and canoes
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Access No. 128411 | 5 secs | 1880s | © Image Library, State Library of NSW | B&W |
Archival B&W photographs of man in traditional dress
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Access No. 128412 | 3 secs | 1880s | © Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, Cambridge University | B&W |
Archival B&W photograph of men in outrigger canoe, second photograph of men in outrigger
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Access No. 128413 | 7 secs | 1880s | © Image Library, State Library of NSW | B&W |
Archival B&W photograph of two islander men holding stone headed club
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Access No. 128414 | 9 secs | 1880s | © Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, Cambridge University | B&W |
Usiam Wailu of Mer Island Council of Elders speaks to camera about Mer fighting for sea rights. CU on shell necklace of man, tilt up to CU of his face. Cutting grass skirt, man rubbing oil onto other man's back, man painting wooden replica of shark, women preparing shark feathered masks, men performing traditional shark dance, women playing drums. Making shark headdress, VS of dancers
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Access No. 128415 | 1 min 23 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
VS of commercial fishermen at work on outboard motor boat, WS of commercial fishing boat at sea. Carl D'Aguiar speaks to camera about harassment of commercial fishing boats by Murray Islanders
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Access No. 128416 | 28 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait Islanders | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Children playing in tree with water and fishing boat in background
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Access No. 128417 | 14 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © Yarra Bank Films Pty Ltd | Colour |
Street scene, sign for Torres Strait Islanders Media Association Inc. News being read by Aven Noah, story of robbery at sea by Murray Islanders. Rear view of two policemen walking along street busy with pedestrians. Sign for Law Courts in Brisbane.
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Access No. 128418 | 29 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Commercial fishermen offloading catch from small outboard motor boat to large commercial boat and tipping catch into freezer compartment. Brian Devereaux, Barrister for Ali Nona, discusses court case of robbery at sea between commercial fishermen and Murray Island fishermen. Cu on lawyers faces and flicking through pages. Panel of judges bow to court, lawyers in court, CU of Ali Nona, the defendant. Ali Nona being interviewed by the media and with his lawyer
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Access No. 128419 | 1 min 24 secs | 2000s | Brisbane, Qld, Australia | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
David Haigh, Senior Lecturer in Law, James Cook University, discusses Native Title over the sea has to be resolved by the Torres Strait Treaty Authority. CU of fish being cleaned and filleted and wider shot at the back of commercial fishing boat. Kila Odo, Murray Island fisherman, to camera about the effect of commercial fishing on his community. CU fish being wrapped in plastic and loaded into freezer. Carl D'Aguiar , commercial fisherman, to camera
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Access No. 128420 | 1 min 30 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Various activities on commercial fishing boat, school in tropical island village with palm trees and boys ringing school bell. Teacher, Caroline Modee, and children in classroom, man walking up outside steps of Queenslander style home in tropical setting
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Access No. 128421 | 57 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Ron Day Chairman of Mer Island Community Council and Bishop Dave Passi in discussion about the Council decision to fight for sea rights
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Access No. 128422 | 29 secs | 2000s | Murray Island, Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Good shot of island or headland offshore from beach, clear blue sky, high angle WS of sea taken from grassy hillside, full frame shot of ocean,
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Access No. 128423 | 17 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Ron Day Chairman of Mer Island Community Council and Carl D'Aguiar , commercial fisherman, and Kila Odo, Murray Island fisherman give their views on the dispute for sea rights
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Access No. 128424 | 49 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
High angle shot of a small shark on a fishing line and being hauled onto boat and thrashing around the floor of the boat. Procession of Murray Island people for a ceremony of blessing the waters. Islanders holding nets and palm fronds in the water.
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Access No. 128425 | 50 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © NFSA and the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
Good shot of idyllic tropical beach with palm trees and few white clouds slowly moving across blue sky
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Access No. 128426 | 9 secs | 2000s | Torres Strait | © NFSA & National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, 2000 | Colour |
National Film and Sound Archive - Australia