Brisbane Blacks

The story of Mop and the Dropouts.

Intro: Some years ago, around 2015, I was invited to a function put on by Brisbane Blacks organised by Sam Watson. It was held at the Dutton Park men’s shed overlooking the Brisbane River and the University of Queensland, just under the Green Bridge. At that time, a small group of us were running a food program for the Sovereign tent embassy out of that shed under the patronage of Sam Watson.

That area of land has special significance for me because, in the early 1970s, I lived for three years on a boat on that reach of the river. I was there during the 1974 floods.

During the proceedings at the men’s shed, Angus Rabbit got up and sang his song, Dancing Aborigine:

I’ve been around, singing and dancing, with my people.
Me and my brothers still going strong.
I hear a voice of my father’s, calling me.
Dance, Brother, dance

Don’t stop dancin’ just because you don’t see me anymore
Brothers, dance, I will always be there by your side,
This is the voice of the aborgine…

Every time I hear Angus’ melodic voice, I feel connected to First Nations people and particularly to Brisbane Blacks. I remember the 1982 Commonwealth Games land rights protests with Ross Watson and his sister sitting on the roadway on the approach to the QE2 Commonwealth Games venue. I remember the protests in defence of the sacred fire in Musgrave Park. I remember the march for Daniel Yock after he had been killed near Musgrave Park by Queensland police. I remember visiting Cherbourg in the early 1970s to make a short video about the establishment of a kindergarten along with film editor, Lesley Mannison, and seeing, for the first time, the effects of apartheid in Queensland.

Angus Rabbit, along with other Cherbourg men, were part of the famous band Mop and the Dropouts. This video depicts an era, now past. This is the story of the Brisbane Blacks. - Ian Curr, 3 Oct 2022.

Subtitles by Ian Curr.

NB to First Nations people: This video contains images of people who have passed away.
The video was created by Ben Carr from the Griffith University Film School.
It contains some footage "1982 Lands Rights film" shot by Lachlan Hurse and Ian Curr.