The Kimberley, narrated by Mark Coles Smith, to premiere on ABC iView on Tuesday 13 May
It’s been a while since we’ve been this excited about an upcoming TV show! All of us here at the Kimberley Cruise Centre are marking our calendars for the 13th of May, when the first instalment of the new show that’s aptly named ‘The Kimberley‘ will premiere on ABC iView.
Broome man Mark Coles Smith leads the narration, set to the backdrop of this incredible region that we call home. The three part series explores the Kimberley’s wilderness, with a particular focus on iconic species and rare creatures found nowhere else on Earth. You can watch The Kimberley trailer here.
“Narrated by and featuring Mark Coles Smith, this landmark natural history docuseries captures never-before-seen wildlife sequences as we explore a year in the lives of the unique wildlife and people that call The Kimberley home.” – Wild Pacific Media.
First Nations Narration
While there has been plenty of media showcasing the Kimberley over the years, this docuseries is especially unique given its narration by a local First Nations man, Mark Coles Smith. Also known as Kalaji, Mark (born 1987) is a proud Nyikina man who is “an actor of stage and screen, sound designer, field recordist, writer, and composer. He is known for his roles in the feature films Last Cab to Darwin (2015), Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018), and Occupation: Rainfall (2020), as well as the television series Mystery Road: Origin (2022), and the Canadian series Hard Rock Medical.” (Words taken from Wikipedia). The grandson of a pearl diver, Mark spent time on a cattle station on the Fitzroy River (Martuwarra, the land of the Nyikina people – his mother’s country) and he has a deep connection with this region. We expect that there will be a decent section of coverage of this region within The Kimberley docuseries.
“He’s heavily invested in that country. He’s an artist in every sense of the word. He’s a musician, a storyteller, an activist in that sense. So he kind of is the perfect person to tell that story, if you like,” said director Nick Robinson.
“Mark will be writing on this show…. he appears in a few scenes as do many other characters in the film. So it’s interesting in that respect, that he crosses the boundary. He goes from narration to becoming one of the people that we follow on the ground, doing his his cultural work that he does, protecting the Martuwarra river system.”
The six seasons
The series follows the six distinct seasons of the Nyikina calendar – Lalin, Jirrbal, Willakarra, Koolawa, Barrakana and Willbooroo. The Nyikina people are the traditional custodians of the Martuwarra (the Fitzroy River), which is the Kimberley’s largest river system.
The Kimberley coast
We’re thrilled to see the Kimberley coastline featuring prominently in teasers for the docuseries, including the Horizontal Falls and the King George River. This wild coastline is unique to any other part of the world and experiencing this ancient landscape is simply life changing. Of course, it’s one thing to see it on screen and another thing to come here and be immersed in it.
Watch it on ABC iView or at the Australian Museum
Mark your calendar for the premiere of this three part series on Tuesday the 13th of May at 8pm on ABC iView. Alternatively, the Australian Museum are hosting a fantastic screening and panel talk event for members on Tuesday the 27th of May. The panel discussion includes Mark Coles Smith (host and narrator) and Nick Robinson of Wild Pacific Media (director) in conversation with the Chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council and Notre Dame University Professor, Anne Poelina (Anne is also Mark’s mother!) Click here for tickets to this event.
