My grandmother walked the rabbit-proof fence
Lives Less Ordinary

My grandmother walked the rabbit-proof fence

Mar 31, 2024
40:28
-(0)

About this episode

Maria's grandmother was forcibly taken by Australian officials, but made a daring escape. As children Maria Pilkington's mother and grandmother were both among the Stolen Generation, removed from their homes to be trained as domestic servants for white families. It was part of an Australian policy dating back to the 1930s to remove mixed-race children from any Aboriginal influence. But Maria's 14-year-old grandmother escaped, with her sister and cousin, by following a pest-control barrier that went right through Western Australia back to their home. The girls' extraordinary three-month, 1400km walk home became the Hollywood film Rabbit-Proof Fence, based on a book written by Maria's mother. Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Sarah Kendal Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp 0044 330 678 2784

Comments

Rate this episode

Episode Details

Author
BBC World Service
Show Type
full
Audio Format
audio/mpeg

We use analytics

We use Umami, a privacy-friendly analytics tool, to understand how visitors use this site. No personal data is collected and no data leaves our EU servers. You can accept or decline below. Privacy Policy