worldsciencefestival

Every photo is a real treasure of hidden knowledge. If it was not for this photo I would never discover the painful sides of the life of Australia's First Nations. History shapes us into who we are today.

According to an Honours thesis by Therese Forde (1990), Army Intelligence regarded the Lutheran Superintendent (George Schwartz, who was of German descent) at Hope Vale with suspicion, and he was taken into internment on 17 May 1942. Forde writes that when the army came to Hope Vale the mission itself was levelled: 'crops of maize, sweet potatoes and fruit were flattened, and the R.A.A.F. built an aerodrome and runway on the site' (p.41) Forde writes that while some elderly people were sent to Palm Island from Hope Vale, the majority were taken to Woorabinda in an arduous journey 'by steamer, train and cattle truck'. A Queensland Government website states that 60 of the Cape Bedford people died while at Woorabinda. The high death rate amongst the Cape Bedford people was partly attributable to inadequate housing and medical care at Woorabinda. The residents from Hope Vale were not equipped with clothing, blankets or bedding that was appropriate for winter conditions in southern Queensland. Forde writes that many people died from pneumonia shortly after their removal from Hope Vale. Source: www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/qld/QE00829

"Dr Kelvin Kong and Dr Mark Wenitong are two prominent leaders in Indigenous health, but they say they faced several obstacles throughout their journey of studying western medicine while keeping true to their culture." Source: www.sbs.com.au/topics/voices/culture/article/2016/10/21/m...

The Japanese occupied Nauru for three years (26th August 1942 - 13 September 1945). Nauru is a Pacific Island which was under Australian administration. The population of Nauru was decimated by several diseases against which they had no immune defences. The Island was mined for phosphate and was a valuable source of income for Australia. Nauru is still in the process of recovering from the decimation of the Island by mining from Colonial powers as well as by the Japanese Occupied Force. (source Wikipedia)

A CORAL reef off Mission Beach has been named after a respected marine scientist in recognition of his pioneering research into crown-of-thorns starfish and ecotoxicology. Dr Robert “Bob” Endean was a fierce advocate for the protection of the Great Barrier Reef and played a key role in the 1960s environmental movement, which led to the formation of the marine park authority in 1975. He was one of the first people to use scuba gear to dive on the Reef and spent more than 40 years working in the University of Queensland’s Zoology Department before retiring in 1990. “Bob was a leader in marine science and a key player in getting to where we are today in reef management,” said GBRMPA general manager Bruce Elliot. “Recognising and advocating the significant threat posed to coral ecology, Bob pioneered crown-of-thorns starfish research, and his research forms the basis of the work we are still doing today.” The reef was officially named by GBRMPA, the Royal Australian Navy’s Australian Hydrographic Office and the Queensland Government. Source: www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/marine-scientist-dr-bob...