Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows a section of the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) television series Backchat. Host Tim Bowden talks about a previously broadcast humorous song that promoted the idea of an Australian republic, 'Sack The Jack’, and a clip from the song is then played. Viewers’ comments are read out, and these are reinforced by the text being superimposed first over the UK Union flag (also known as the Union Jack), and then over a possible new Australian flag.

Educational value points

• Backchat (1986–95) was a weekly 12-minute television program that afforded viewers the opportunity to express their opinions on any program broadcast during the previous week on the ABC. The selection of letters broadcast was determined by the popularity of issues with the viewing public and the content and editorial policies of the ABC charter (set out in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983). These policies require the ABC to stimulate debate on contemporary issues, to respond to audience enquiries promptly and to welcome comments, as well as to broadcast programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform, entertain and reflect the cultural diversity of the Australian community.

• A program called Feedback, which was similar in nature to Backchat, ran for three years from April 2002 and was hosted by Indira Naidoo. As of 2007, there was no ABC program of this nature on air. Viewer comments are now made by phone calls, letters and emails to the ABC website and are responded to by letter or email.

• This episode of Backchat was broadcast at a time when the republican issue was being hotly debated in the media and in parliament. The Australian Republican Movement was launched in July 1991, and its goal was for Australia to become a republic by 1 January 2001, a date significant for its commemoration of the centenary of Federation and the birth of the Australian constitution. In February 1992 Prime Minister Paul Keating called for a new Australian flag.

• The subject at the heart of the clip is the republican debate. The Australian constitution mandates that Australia’s head of state is the ruling monarch of the UK. The Australian Republican Movement wants to break traditional ties with the UK by having an Australian head of state, chosen by Australians. On 6 November 1999 a referendum was held on one particular method by which Australia could become a republic. Research at the time found that, while a majority of Australians favoured a republic, opinion was divided on the method by which the head of state should be chosen. The referendum resulted in 54.87 per cent of the Australian public voting to keep a constitutional monarchy.

• The clip shows the existing Australian flag; the Union flag in the top left-hand corner symbolises Australia’s historic link with the UK. The clip also shows one of many alternative designs suggested for a new Australian flag. There have been numerous proposals from citizens for a new Australian flag, including the National Colonial flag in 1832, the Eureka flag in 1854 and the Australian Federation flag from 1831 to the late 1920s. The Flags Act 1953 governs the Australian flag, and a change would necessitate a national referendum.

• Political songs such as 'Sack The Jack’, a section of which appears in the clip, have been used to popularise and communicate messages on many issues. Political songs tend to be antiestablishment, to attack injustices and can influence public attitudes. In this case the song is a humorous attack on the links with 'a blue-blood’ 'has-been’ empire. Other examples of political songs are James Brown’s 'Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud’, which attacks racism; John Lennon’s 'Give peace a chance’ and Bob Dylan’s 'God is on our side’, which are anti-war songs; Pink’s 'Stupid girls’, which is about feminism; and Midnight Oil’s 'Beds are burning’, which is about Indigenous Australian land rights.

• Tim Bowden was the popular host of Backchat from 1986 to 1994. Bowden worked for the ABC as a journalist, foreign correspondent, current affairs reporter, producer and presenter on both radio and television. He also worked in radio drama and features, and founded the radio social history unit. Bowden is now an author of fiction and non-fiction, including biography, history and travel.

Presenter Tim Bowden sits at a desk in the ABC studio.
Tim Bowden Talking about that which has been lambasted and then scored some points, a similar surge of support for a song aired on John Derrin’s That’s Australia not so long ago, titled 'Sack the Jack’. Now, one correspondent accused the ABC of treason for telecasting it. And in the fine tradition of Backchat showing you what you might have been annoyed by had you seen it, here’s an excerpt.

Clip of man in the bush playing a banjo and singing. Another man plays the guitar.
Musician (singing)

Two, three, four.
Sack the Jack, we don’t want you.
Sack the Jack and you blue blood too.
Sack the Jack – we’re telling you to go.
We don’t want a foreign Queen.
The umpire is an old has-been.
Southern stars are shining in our soul.
And we don’t want the Jack up our pole.

Tim Bowden Well, Peter of Hughes, Canberra, thinks the ABC should be accused of treason for not using it as a network theme song. Robert Hickson of Mackay was delighted with it. And returned World War Two serviceman B Appleton, Killcare Heights of New South Wales, thinks he has a right to make a comment on the Australian flag without being thought disloyal or traitorous.

Appleton’s letter appears on screen as text and is read over image of Australian flag and then image of green and gold flag featuring kangaroo and Southern Cross but not no Union Jack.
Male voice-over ‘I can state I fully enjoyed the song, and have a lot of sympathy for it. As one who cut the apron strings when 15 or 16, without any rancour or dispute with my parents, there comes a time when you must stand on your own two feet. More power to “Sack the Jack” and like sentiments.’

Tim Bowden ‘Yes, indeed’, writes Pam McNaught of Knoxville, Victoria.

Stills of the Queen are accompanied by Pam’s letter as text on the screen and read in voice-over.
Female voice-over ‘Is there anyone under the age of 43 or 50 really interested in a foreign Queen? Please, Advance Australia Fair.’