Joh Bjelke-Petersen's hard-line conservatism attracted national attention in July 1971 when he declared a "state of emergency" in Queensland to control demonstrations against a South African Springbok rugby union tour
Super Stone Slinger
Super Stone Slinger is a political spoof played by the renowned, Australian actor, Peter Kowitz. Peter was a student at the time he played the super hero in this short film. The Super 8 film references an event that took place during a "state of emergency" in Queensland, Australia, used to control anti-apartheid demonstrations that coincided with a South African Springbok rugby union tour in Brisbane in mid-1971. The film was shot in Wickham Park in central Brisbane, the actual location where two separate demonstrations had been charged by police without warning, and several people had been seriously injured (details below). The victims included Peter Beattie, who later became the 36th Premier of Queensland between 1998 and 2007. The confrontations were orchestrated by an inexperienced new Queensland Premier seeking to push a strong ‘law and order’ message in the face of skepticism about his leadership qualities.
After the second police charge on July 24, 1971, the Police claimed this charge was ordered when a stone was thrown that allegedly broke a window in the hotel where the Springboks were staying. However, the offending missile was never produced and glaziers called to fix the window insisted the fall of the glass strongly suggested the window has been broken from inside the building. It was next to impossible for a demonstrator to throw a stone and break the plate glass window as the police had claimed. This film is a send up of the police assertion.
As a direct response to the calling of the "state of emergency" and the use of excessive police force in 1971, a discussion started among radical students about using radio as a alternative form of communication to express other points of view. This idea eventually evolved into setting up the radio station 4ZZZ-FM four and a half years later. See tile 4C.
The actor, Peter Kowitz, is one of Australia's most prolific stage performers over the last 40 years. He has had roles in classics like Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and A Doll's House, as well as numerous Shakespearean plays. He has also worked extensively in comedy. Peter has appeared in almost every major Australian television series of the last 25 years with credits including Murder Call, Rafferty's Rules, Wildside, Big Sky and Swimming With Sharks.
Peter has won two AFI awards. The first in 1986, when he was named Best Lead Actor in a Telefeature for The Long Way Home, and the second in 1989, when he was awarded Best Performance by an Actor in a mini-series for Body Surfer. He has also received a Variety Club Heart Award for television performance. More recently, he played the character Max in the BBC/FOX comedy "Supernova" series 1&2.
The music is from DROWNING POOL, a band originally from Dallas, Texas. The track is entitled BODIES from their debut album SINNER (2001 / Wind-up Records).