Local author’s book inspires new SBS documentary

OCEAN Shores author Julianne Schultz AM is thrilled to see her book The Idea of Australia brought to life on screen in a new SBS documentary exploring the nation’s identity.

Presented by Australian actress Rachel Griffiths, the four-part series features more than 60 interviews with historians, experts and public figures, alongside archival pop culture footage from television and film.

Participants include journalist Ray Martin AM, activist and 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame, author and union official Thomas Mayo, former Socceroo and human rights advocate Craig Foster AM and former politician and trade unionist Brian Courtice.

Schultz, who served as an executive producer and writer for the series, said adapting a book of ideas into a television program was no small feat — but the creative team rose to the occasion.

“Australians often say that they don’t know much about our history, that they didn’t learn it in school, so we wanted to explore some of this history and show how it echoes today,” she said. “There are so many good stories, as well as the challenging ones, and fabulous family stories, so we wanted to give people the confidence to learn a bit more and then be a bit more ambitious about creating the society they want for the 21st century — especially by emphasising the good Aussie value of fairness.”

A regular columnist for The Guardian, Schultz is a longtime friend of Blackfella Films managing director Darren Dale. Over the years, the two have often discussed how to improve Australia and the role of storytelling, through film, television, art and literature, in shaping national identity.

“Because Darren is a brilliant screen person – he has produced shows including Total Control, Redfern Now, The Australian Wars and lots more – he knows how to do this,” she said. “When the book came out he said, ‘we’ve got to make this into TV’. I was astonished and thrilled.”

Dale took on the task of securing support from SBS, Screen Australia and Screen NSW, assembling a top-tier production team and recruiting Griffiths as presenter.

The series also includes stories from Northern Rivers locals, such as journalist and author Kerry O’Brien AO, Indigenous tour guide and Byron Shire Councillor Delta Kay from Explore Byron Bay, and Neverland author Tricia Shantz.

“Delta and Tricia tell some of the stories about Byron Bay, so that audiences who don’t know either the ancient Arakwal story of this region, or the back story of the surfers, hippies, conservationists and their battles with property developers, get a different take on this area,” she said. “That’s what good TV can do, bring stories to life with real people talking about their experiences.”

The Idea of Australia premieres Wednesday October 15 at 7.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.