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Our Apartheid

from Returning on Foot by Penelope Swales

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Dedicated to Lionel Fogarty and his friends and family.

The issue of Australian aparthied - and Australian hypocrisy - was first
pointed out to me by a British songwriter called Rory McLeod. On the night that Aparthied fell in South Africa I watched the news, then I watched the movie "Cry Freedom" about Stephen Biko and Donald Woods. Then I watched the news again. The scrolling of the names of black deaths in custody at the end of the film, together with the supposed causes of death in the prison reports ("Fell six floors, fell ten floors, slipped in shower, etc) got me thinking about Aboriginal deaths in custody and what response Aboriginal people might have been having on that night of such optimism and celebration. Especially the friends and families of those who have died in custody.

Shortly after I wrote this song, I read in a book called "Being Aboriginal: Comments, Observations and Stories from Aboriginal Australians" by Ros Bowden and Bill Bunbury that South African Aparthied was
actually based on an Australian piece of legislation called the Queensland Protection act of 1910.

Daniel Yock was a young Murri dancer who died in custody in Brisbane in November 1993. His name is used with the kind permission of his Uncle Lionel Fogarty.

The Kurnai and the Wurundjeri are the traditional owners of the lands where I have lived most of my life.

credits

from Returning on Foot, released January 7, 1995
Vocals, Guitar - Penelope Swales.
Backing vocals, 12 string guitar, Kalimba, Marimba - Valanga Khosa. Djembe, Clapsticks - Tim Webb.
Bass - Mal Webb.
Drums - Gavin Gray.
Didjeridoo - Joe Geia.

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Penelope Swales Boolarra, Australia

Penelope Swales has been articulating the human condition with passion and humour for 30+ years. She sings about politics, love, friendship, the unbreakable bond between us and dogs and the impact of the Internet on society. She won the 2019 Alistair Hulett Songs for Social Justice Award with “Cambridge Analytica”. “The Ides of March in Christchurch" was short-listed for the same award in 2020. ... more

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