First Australians (2008) User Reviews

Incredibly Fascinating

[RobinCook70 · 10/10 · 26 December 2008]

If you're in the mood for a good documentary series that tells it like it was with descendants relating events, then you're in for a treat. This next paragraph I copied from another site giving a summary of this series.

First Australians chronicles the birth of contemporary Australia as never told before, from the perspective of its first people. First Australians explores what unfolds when the oldest living culture in the world is overrun by the world's greatest empire. Over seven episodes, First Australians depicts the true stories of individuals - both black and white - caught in an epic drama of friendship, revenge, loss and victory in Australia's most trans-formative period of history. The story begins in 1788 in Sydney, with the friendship between an Englishmen (Governor Phillip) and a warrior (Bennelong) and ends in 1993 with Koiki Mabo's legal challenge to the foundation of Australia. First Australians chronicles the collision of two worlds and the genesis of a new nation.

Being in the USA, I have not had much of any information about Australia and its' history in any form like this. This seven episode series filled me in quite well ... and was further interesting to view it just after having viewed another fact-based drama and fact-event series, "Against The Wind." I recommend a comparison viewing with these two series so you can draw your own conclusions. This was a topnotch documentary series and I applaud all those involved ... now, if someone will manage to fix the 3rd episode audio sync copy I viewed (lol)! If I could give more than ten stars I would ... definitely a must see!

Our most important history. Every Australian must see this.

[danielkent-1 · 10/10 · 14 June 2009]

Basically the series tells our history. But yeah, its not good. It re-enforces those stories, that you hear about but never fully got the whole picture. This documentary series about the beginnings of modern Australian...from the view of those who shot died for cattle, stolen from their parents, raped, got sick from nuclear bomb testings, removed from their lands, discriminated and controlled in every aspect of their lives.

Over the past 221 years, Australia, has gone though a lot. You can not say every aboriginal is right and every white person is evil. But if you look at history its pretty clear that racism isn't just words like it is today. We do have a lot of evil in our past and sometimes you hope this was documentary was a fictional work.

This documentary really does explain our past well...Tells of the beginning of Sydney, the stolen generations, the civil wars, the nuclear testings, the murderous killing fields, the freedom ride of black rights, are just some examples of what to expect in this series.

But really you have to use your imagination and listen to the words more..as there is only a handful pictures (due to the periods covered before film/photography was widely used in some parts)and a many epic shoots over the landscape. Told using excellent narration, interviews and the words written down by those directly involved. The music is fantastic.

But like I said its not the production values that make this series what it is. Seriously the claims made in this series will change your view of Australia, however when your watching this (especially if live overseas) you have understand, that a lot has happened in recent years and for the most part this sh*t doesn't happen anymore..or at least I hope so.

I can connect to the history of this as I am white, but my Nana has told me about the slums on the edge of her town in Northern NSW when she was younger, this street I live in right now WAS part of the slums land that the blacks lived on. I was born and grew up in Sydney/Central Coast so the story of Bennalong and the fact that I am a descendant of the first fleet and Arthur Phillip makes it an important part of my history too.

I brought the series on DVD, it was at the back of the shelf, in the only place in my large country town that sells it. I watched some episodes on television before, but missed out on most of them. Let me tell you, I never buy DVDs, I am 19 and I got no money to do that. But this one is worth it and I will keep it for the rest of my life.

This series is available for viewing on its website for free.

Deeply moving stories of courage, sacrifice, pain, heroism and enduring spirit

[wcashley · 9/10 · 23 December 2008]

There are few TV shows that can really change the way you think. This is one of them. I never really understood the history of the indigenous people of Australia, and sometimes I found it difficult to understand their present situation and point of view. However, after seeing this series, the human and personal face of these people and their history since European settlement makes sense to me. I am reminded (from my own cultural background) of the very personal stories arising from the Highland Clearances and the great famines of Ireland. Here we have deeply moving and personal stories of the courage, sacrifice, pain, heroism and enduring spirit of the aboriginal people of Australia.