Lives Less Ordinary

My grandmother walked the rabbit-proof fence


Listen Later

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: [email protected] or WhatsApp 0044 330 678 2784

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Lives Less OrdinaryBy BBC World Service

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

441 ratings


More shows like Lives Less Ordinary

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,390 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

393 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,856 Listeners

F1: Chequered Flag by BBC Radio 5 Live

F1: Chequered Flag

792 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,823 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,773 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,058 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

969 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

944 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,085 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,058 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

821 Listeners

The History Hour by BBC World Service

The History Hour

574 Listeners

The Food Chain by BBC World Service

The Food Chain

343 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

757 Listeners

People Fixing the World by BBC World Service

People Fixing the World

246 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

748 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,023 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

68 Listeners

History's Heroes by BBC Radio 4

History's Heroes

473 Listeners

World Of Secrets by BBC

World Of Secrets

924 Listeners

The Gift by BBC Radio 4

The Gift

57 Listeners

Extreme by BBC

Extreme

107 Listeners

Strangers on a Bench by Tom Rosenthal

Strangers on a Bench

521 Listeners