LOCAL historian Dr Marguerita Stephens and local documentary filmmaker James Freemantle are joining together at the Ballaarat Mechanics\u2019 Institute for an evening of history.<\/p>\n
The event will showcase and discus Stephens\u2019 book The Years of Terror<\/em> and Mr Freemantle\u2019s documentary Bush to Belly<\/em>.<\/p>\n Both works centre around colonisation and its impact on Indigenous peoples.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Years of Terror<\/em> covers the first 15 years of the British colony at Melbourne and follows the journey of William Thomas,\u201d said Stephens.<\/p>\n \u201cHe spent every day from the time he arrived in 1839 very closely engaged with Aboriginal people until his death in 1867.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a very close observer of what was essentially the genocide of those clans.\u201d<\/p>\n Stephens discovered Mr Thomas\u2019 journal and decided to transcribe it, before writing her book which is based on the diary.<\/p>\n She later met Fremantle and they realised their common interests.<\/p>\n \u201cJames and I are both very strong supporters of the yes vote for the referendum and we met at an information stall for the yes vote,\u201d said Stephens.<\/p>\n \u201cHe told me he made a documentary film which is also relevant to First Nations people are I was so taken by his wonderful, beautiful film.\u201d<\/p>\n