Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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The clip opens with Kate (Justine Clarke) talking to Barry (Nick Enright) in his western Sydney home about her adoption and her desire to find her biological mother. Barry, who works for a volunteer organisation, tells Kate that because she is under 18 he can’t help her without her adoptive parents’ consent. In the final scene in the backyard, Nick cooks a family barbeque while Kate asks why her mother would want to relinquish her and Barry explains some of the reasons for the secrecy surrounding adoption.

Educational value points

• The clip addresses an issue arising out of adoption, which is the legal process of placing a child in the permanent care of a parent or parents other than the child’s biological parents. The reasons for a parent deciding to relinquish a child for adoption vary depending on social and legal circumstances. During the clip Barry highlights some possible reasons for Kate’s relinquishment, including social pressures or parental financial difficulties or illness.

• Barry tells Kate she needs her adoptive parents’ permission before he can help her look for her birth parents, as she is under 18 years of age. The Adoption Act 1988 (SA) gave people who had been adopted the right to apply for information about their birth parents once they reached 18 years of age. Prior to this, the Adoption of Children Act 1965 (NSW) legislated total secrecy about the identity of parents and children involved in an adoption.

• During the clip Barry says 'mothers don’t give up their babies easily’. According to a NSW Law Reform Commission Report (1994) the number of Australian children being relinquished for adoption has decreased since the late 1970s. This can be partly attributed to the increased financial support given to single mothers with the introduction of the Supporting Mother’s Benefit in 1973, an increase in the availability of contraception and abortion and an overall change in Australian society’s attitude towards unmarried and single parents.

• Although the clip was made in 1988, the issues addressed are relevant in a contemporary context. The clip highlights some of the feelings that may be experienced when a child finds out they are adopted. Kate’s desperation and exasperation with her situation is evident when she says 'I just want to find her’.

• The viewer is encouraged to think about the issue of adoption from the parent’s perspective when Barry asks Kate, 'Did it ever occur to you that she might not want to see you?’. The clip addresses personal issues, social pressure and feelings of guilt in relation to parents who decide to relinquish their children for adoption.

• The clip features actor Justine Clarke (1971–). Clarke started working as a professional actor at 7 years of age. She is a talented jazz singer and has worked extensively with the Sydney Theatre Company. Her movie appearances include Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Japanese Story (2003), Danny Deckchair (2003) and Look Both Ways (2005). She appeared in the television series Home and Away (1988–89) and has worked as a presenter on Play School (2001–).

• Writer, actor and educator Nick Enright (1950–2003) is featured in the clip. Enright was nominated for an Academy Award for the screenplay of Lorenzo’s Oil (1992), which he co-wrote with George Miller. He wrote the musical The Boy from Oz (1998) and his adaptation of the Tim Winton novel Cloudstreet for stage received critical acclaim. His acting credits include Breaking Up (1980), Come in Spinner (1990) and Brotherhood of the Rose (1989).

• The clip was produced by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF), a non-profit organisation that develops programs for children. The ACTF is funded by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments.