Four Corners on ABC and ABC iview S64E8 – The Yoorrook Justice Commission is making history as Australia’s first formal truth-telling inquiry, shedding light on a violent past long buried in the nation’s consciousness.
Bridget Brennan, with the ABC’s Indigenous Affairs Team in collaboration with Four Corners, has been documenting the powerful testimonies presented to the groundbreaking commission in Victoria, which expose the deep and ongoing impact of massacres and human rights abuses which began when Australia was colonised.
Among these stories is the harrowing account of the Warrigal Creek massacre, where, in 1843, dozens of Aboriginal people were shot dead by white settlers in retaliation for the killing of a pastoralist’s nephew.
For Elizabeth Balderstone, the tragic history of Warrigal Creek is not just a historical account – it is a lived reality. She and Gunaikurnai elder Uncle Russell Mullett have come forward to share their story, bringing long-suppressed truths onto the public record.
“If we are to have a future where we live together with understanding,”
– Uncle Russell said,
“we must first be willing to know our history—and accept it.”
The documentary witnesses the gruelling and deeply personal work of the Aboriginal truth commissioners, as they attempt to document the true history of Victoria.
The team also follows along as the Commission investigates the catastrophic legacy of a former Prime Minister.
Truth/Yoorrook is a fearless, definitive documentary which examines how we as a nation reckon with our colonial past and take critical steps towards truth, healing and justice.
Truth/Yoorrook reported by Bridget Brennan, produced by Ali Russell and researched by Kate Ashton goes to air on Monday 24 March at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview. See more at abc.net.au/news and on ABC News social media platforms.
Media Release – ABC
TV Central ABC content HERE
Four Corners on ABC and ABC iview S64E8
