Three girls walked 1,670 kilometres to escape a government policy of forced assimilation.
In short: In 1931, three young Aboriginal girls were forcibly removed from their families and placed in a state settlement. Their desperate nine-week journey home along the rabbit-proof fence became the basis for a powerful film that ignited a fierce national debate about Australia's history and the so-called Stolen Generations.
The 2002 film Rabbit-Proof Fence, directed by Phillip Noyce, chronicles the true story of Molly Craig, her sister Daisy Kadibil, and their cousin Gracie. In 1931, these girls were taken from their community in Jigalong by authorities acting under the orders of A. O. Neville, the Protector of Western Australian Aborigines. Neville viewed children of mixed Aboriginal and white heritage as a group that needed to be bred out of existence, intending to train them as labourers and servants to white families to eventually diminish Aboriginal identity.
Held at the Moore River Native Settlement, the girls faced a strictly regimented environment where they were prohibited from speaking their native language and subjected to harsh punishment. Driven by the desire to return to their families, the trio escaped and navigated the Australian outback for nine weeks. They followed the rabbit-proof fence for 1,670 kilometres, relying on their wits and occasional help from strangers to evade persistent pursuit by an Aboriginal tracker and government agents. While Molly and Daisy eventually reached home, Gracie was recaptured after being betrayed.
The film’s release triggered significant controversy in Australia. Conservative commentators and some government figures criticized its historical accuracy, alleging it distorted the nature of the removal policy and the girls' experiences. Conversely, screenwriter Christine Olsen and director Phillip Noyce defended the work, emphasizing that it was based on well-documented events. Despite the political friction, the film was widely praised by critics for its storytelling and visual impact, eventually becoming a seminal work that brought the history of the Stolen Generations to a global audience.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Rabbit-Proof Fence
- Also: Wikidata — Long Walk Home: Music from the Rabbit-Proof Fence · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Rabbit-Proof Fence · CC0
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