Red Cross Teaching Role at Palm Island

Tania and Studio Manager, Lauren recently visited Palm Island, an indigenous community on the far north coast of Queensland, near Townsville.

Palm Island was made a reserve in 1914 and regarded as an ideal place to confine Aboriginal and Islander people who were regarded as ‘problem cases’. Around 1630 people from 40 different Aboriginal groups across Queensland were removed by the QLD Government and deposited on the Island.

Red Cross and Fuji Film Australia invited Tania and Lauren to be part of an educational project which culminated in a community concert and photography exhibition.


The project was created to help build self esteem in the younger members of the community. Other creative specialists were also brought in to run workshops in dance, drama, musical writing, recording, art and photography. Tania commented that the photography component was a powerful and fitting way to record the island’s history through the teenagers’ own eyes.

The concert was hosted at their Community Centre. Here the images taken by the teenagers, and visiting photographers were unveiled to an eager audience of budding artists, friends and families. A selection of the participants’ images will also be exhibited at the Qld State Library.


Tania said “Our arrival was very timely as Parliament’s official apology to the Indigenous people of Australia took place the day before we arrived on the island and there was lots of emotion and excitement. It was meaningful to see that the apology was appreciated by the community including the Elders some of whom were of the stolen generation. Lauren and I feel much richer for being welcomed into this community and for being able to share our knowledge.” Tania and Lauren plan to return in June.