Back Roads: April 1

ABC Radio host and Noongar Banjima Yamatji man from WA, Craig Quartermaine, is guest host tonight on Back Roads.

He is in Cooktown, Queensland, where Captain Cook’s Endeavour stopped after it hit the Great Barrier Reef and needed repairs.

Craig Quartermaine arrives in Cooktown to find out what the locals make of Captain Cook and how the community is making sense of its past. Firstly, he meets an Indigenous family whose ancestors came face to face with Cook. Fred Deeral’s great-great grandfather handed Captain Cook a broken tipped spear, which Cook interpreted as an act of friendship. The gesture is widely accepted as the first act of reconciliation ever recorded in Australia.

Craig meets Loretta Sullivan and Alberta Hornsby, who have formed an unlikely partnership and are re-writing history. Loretta and Alberta have been studying the journals of Endeavour crewmen and are making sure the Indigenous perspective is not forgotten.

Craig also visits Normanby station, a cattle property owned and run by Indigenous brothers Vince and Cliff Harrigan. The brothers have been running the station since their grandfather died, but still find time for their other passion, music. The Harrigan brothers are members of the Black Image Band and perform all over Cape York Peninsula.

Craig also meets a kite-surfing couple Ant Hadleigh and Paully Smith who lease the land where they run their business at Elim Beach, from the traditional owners. Ant and local elder Eddie Deemal have been firm friends for more than 30 years.

This episode is about connections, friendships and forgiveness.
Production credits: Executive Producer: Brigid Donovan. Story Producer, Kerri Ritchie.

8pm tonight on ABC.