The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) is commemorating the groundbreaking Aboriginal community radio program, Radio Redfern, with a special screening of the ward-winning documentary "88.9 Radio Redfern" at Arc Cinema.
Directed by Geoff Burton and Sharon Bell in 1988, the film highlights the significant impact of Radio Redfern, which emerged on Sydney airwaves during the early 1980s.
The radio program, broadcast by Radio Skid Row (2SER), played a crucial role in informing listeners about First Nations' responses to colonization during Australia's 1988 Bicentenary.
The NFSA, who recently announced their new streaming platform, will bring together key figures who contributed to the success and development of Radio Redfern, including broadcasters Cheryl Rose and Chris Kirkbright, along with producer Nicola Joseph.
The panel, hosted by Torres Strait Islander broadcaster and journalist Rhianna Patrick, will also feature Professor Brenda L Croft from the ANU School of Art and Design, specialising in Indigenous Art History & Curatorship.
RadioRedfern into Sounds of Australia (Image: NicolaJoseph RadioSkidRow)
This occasion also marks the 40th anniversary of Radio Skid Row, which became a fully licensed station in September 1983.
"Radio Redfern gave Sydney's Aboriginal communities an important new platform that helped coordinate grassroots activism, educate the wider community, and expand Aboriginal community broadcasting across Australia," said NFSA curator Nick Henderson.
"This event explores the significant impact of Radio Redfern and celebrates the 40th anniversary of Radio Skid Row, which has been a voice for a wide range of marginalised communities in Sydney," he said.
The NFSA recognized the significance of Radio Redfern's coverage of the 1988 Bicentenary protests by adding it to the Sounds of Australia registry in 2022.
The registry aims to preserve and celebrate audio recordings that hold cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance to Australian life from the 1890s to the present day.
