Rabbit-Proof Fence

Rabbit-Proof Fence 2002

Although titled “Rabbit-Proof Fence,” the story depicted is that of racial prejudice and oppression. This is a film based on a true story of three young girls, who escaped from a reform-school 1500 miles from their home in Australia. In 1931, three Aboriginal girls, 14-year old Molly, her 8-year old sister Daisy, and their 10-year old cousin Gracie, were taken into government custody due to their half-caste status. Forced into a life they didn’t want, Molly choose to risk solitary confinement and brutal lashings in an effort to return home. She led the other two girls away from the camp towards home. During the trek, Gracie was captured and returned to the camp, but the two sisters made it home after several months of drudgery. They never saw Gracie again.

The girls are part of a group of Australian natives as well as mixed children (half-castes) known as, ‘The Stolen Generation.’ This group consists of young children who were stripped from their families by law enforcement and church missionaries between the years of 1869 and 1969. There were government policies in place that allowed this genocide to take place. Many researchers believe it was a plot to eradicate all the native people, similar to the Nazi plight in regards to the Holocaust.

The first settlers in Australia, one hundred-fifty years prior to the beginning of ‘The Stolen Generation’ era, nearly wiped out the native people with disease similar to what happened in North and South America. Small pox alone killed about 50% of the Aborigines. Before British settlement the population is estimated at 720 thousand, and in 1986 it was 227,593. The current population is 455,028, but Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders only account for 2% of Australia’s overall population.

Newly appointed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, gave an apology speech February 13, of 2008, to try and mend the relationship between the government and those affected by the genocide. There has been a national ‘Sorry Day’ held annually for the last decade, due to pressure from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. This Commission spent 17 months researching and reviewing cases concerning separations and a report called ‘Bringing Them Home’ was released to parliament. Another report, ‘Telling Our Story,’ documented individual cases and is currently available to download online. The first report was sent to parliament and became a major topic of debate. Many felt it was not the responsibility of the current staff to apologize for others’ actions and feared it would open up the door to more and more lawsuits against the country. The national ‘Sorry Day’ and the speech given by P.M. Rudd, are the only major actions of government to reach out to the Native People so far.

The girls used the Rabbit-proof fence to find their way home to Jigalong. It’s the largest fence in the world with the main section reaching from the northern shore to the southern and totaling 1900 miles. It took seven years to complete and multiplied from one into three sections. It proved extremely difficult to maintain due to the harsh landscape and length. The rabbits soon found ways under, through, and around the fences during their spread from the east to the west. The three fences were built to guard croplands from these multiplying rabbit populations that were a result of mismanagement by British settlers who brought the rabbits with them as a food source. The fence combined with the genocide, offer subtle irony as the people try to control not only the rabbit population, but the Native’s as well.

In the end, it seems that the fence was much more successful as a tool for the girl’s survival than its original purpose. It was built to keep rabbits out but served as a navigational tool for two young, unwavering girls who made it home. Approximately 100,000 others were captured and not returned. This incident may be small compared to events such as the Holocaust, but the importance is the same and its occurrence more recent. Public awareness is probably the best outcome of this film and the media is quick at ninety minutes as well as entertaining.