On Australian Shores: Survivor Stories is a new documentary which will be released in 2022: watch this space for more information!
In the 1970s and 1980s, Kimberley Aboriginal workers were involved in weed spraying campaigns organised by the Agricultural Protection Board of Western Australia. They received no training or protection equipment. They were told the chemicals they were mixing and spraying by hand were safe to use. Unbeknownst to them, they were spraying Agent Orange - a mixture of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D herbicides.
Many healthy young Aboriginal men died in their thirties and forties, leaving behind heartbroken parents, partners, siblings, children, and communities. But the impact was not limited to them. The toxins they were spraying affected their wives, who suffered miscarriages and could not have children, and their own children, who were in contact with their clothes. Aunty Lena Buckle, from Derby, lost a daughter, a son, and a grandson. Many of the survivors today have suffered from cancers and other conditions. Many of their grandchildren are also affected, some born with malformations. Senior Nyikina Elder Lucy Marshall AM campaigned for the victims of Agent Orange in the Kimberley, until her death - she received an Order of Australia Medal for her tireless efforts. She passed away in 2021, without the answers she was seeking, having lost a son, a grandson, and a nephew. Some of her son's organs are still held in a facility in Perth - against Aboriginal cultural protocols.
Two government enquiries were held in 2003 (led by Dr Andrew Harper) and 2004 (led by Dr Bruce Armstrong). Cancer sufferers were promised compensation - none of the other ailments or deaths were attributed to the use of Agent Orange. The ABC covered the story in a 2014 Four Corners Programme (Chemical Time Bomb). Repeated calls for compensation and recognition of the victims have fallen on deaf ears, due to the statute of limitations.
This compelling 55-minute documentary gives voice to 42 people, survivors, family and community members so they can get some acknowledgement that what happened to them was wrong. This is THEIR story.