After 11 years of persistence, patience and not giving up, in July 2021 a project that began with a meeting on red dirt in central Australia was launched ! Banjo Morton: The Untold Story is a free comprehensive multimedia interactive website with accompanying Study Guide and Teachers Resource for schools around Australia, and also a site of interest for everyone.
I first met Banjo out on his country in central Australia (Alyawarra land) back in 2010 after reading an article in The Age about him. That meeting inspired me to want to take his story to the nation and the world. I managed to get Channel 7 Today Tonight interested to do a story to help me raise funds for what, back then was going to be a feature animated documentary film.
https://thinkfilms.com.au/the-making-of-banjos-war-on-channel-7/
Unfortunately, all I was able to raise was $20 but that didn’t stop me. In 2019, I was able to secure funding from the Indigenous Language and Arts Program to finish this project which became a multimedia interactive website.
The multimedia website both educates viewers and celebrates Banjo Morton and the Alyawarra community. Each chapter takes the reader deeper into Alyawarra history, culture and political legacy and provides a national context for the community’s actions.
The website, with accompanying educational materials, is a valuable resource for schools, universities, community groups, and historians, as well as the general public. I believe the project will enhance understanding of indigenous history and culture, while letting the world know of Banjo Morton’s untold story.