Summary Norm's Army This week's Australian Story features an ordinary Australian family with an extraordinary and heartwarming tale to tell. The story starts in the sixties in the jungles of Vietnam and ends in the beautiful Channel area of Southern Tasmania where a "rainbow collection" of adopted children are growing up together in the family of Norm and Lorraine Cairns. In 1968 Norm Cairns was an infantryman serving as a member of the "Tunnel Rats" near Nui Dat. After an all night battle with the Viet Cong, he shot a man who was lying on the ground, trying to pull the pin out of a grenade. When he searched the body, he was devastated to find a photo of the dead man's wife and children standing outside a little grass hut. He says "It just about buggered me". Norm was so traumatised by the events of that day, he decided to "atone" in some way. And that was the catalyst for the arrival into the Cairns family of baby "Kim", an emaciated four month old baby who turned up at a Saigon orphanage, half dead, in a shoe box. Kim is now a bright and beautiful 22 year old nurse whose ambition is to work for an overseas aid agency. And it is through her eyes that we hear the full story of the Cairns family ... how Norm and Lorraine lost their own first baby at the age of five days and how they adopted Kim and subsequently four other needy children from third world countries. Two biological children bring the tally to seven. Norm and Lorraine describe themselves as very ordinary Aussies, but their adopted multi-cultural kids charm everyone they come into contact with. The family has experienced the usual range of struggles, but the kids, natural and adopted, have grown up very close and protective of each other, and with a robust outlook on life. They talk of experiencing racism from time to time and how they deal with that in their own quiet way. Norm says "I'm not into any of this multicultural business at all. I just think we're all Australians." PLUS: Folk Hero The second story is introduced by the host of ABC radio's enormously successful Australia All Over, Ian McNamara. It is about Mark Schuster, a Queensland based folk historian who has dedicated his life to preserving Australia's rich tradition of folk music. Mark travels country towns with his accordion, encouraging local people to recall the tunes of sixty or seventy years ago. So far, the 38 year old computer map maker has taped 300 hours of traditional bush, folk and dance music. The National Library in Canberra has been busy collating the material and Mark hopes eventually to release a CD of the folk tunes he has gathered.
Directed : Unknown
Written : Unknown
Stars : Caroline Jones Leigh Sales Eddie Perfect Jimmy Barnes
Genres : Biography Documentary
Release date : May 2, 1997
Countries of origin : Australia
Official sites : ABC iView Official Australian Story Website
Language : English
Filming locations : ABC Studios, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Production companies : Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
Summary Norm's Army This week's Australian Story features an ordinary Australian family with an extraordinary and heartwarming tale to tell. The story starts in the sixties in the jungles of Vietnam and ends in the beautiful Channel area of Southern Tasmania where a "rainbow collection" of adopted children are growing up together in the family of Norm and Lorraine Cairns. In 1968 Norm Cairns was an infantryman serving as a member of the "Tunnel Rats" near Nui Dat. After an all night battle with the Viet Cong, he shot a man who was lying on the ground, trying to pull the pin out of a grenade. When he searched the body, he was devastated to find a photo of the dead man's wife and children standing outside a little grass hut. He says "It just about buggered me". Norm was so traumatised by the events of that day, he decided to "atone" in some way. And that was the catalyst for the arrival into the Cairns family of baby "Kim", an emaciated four month old baby who turned up at a Saigon orphanage, half dead, in a shoe box. Kim is now a bright and beautiful 22 year old nurse whose ambition is to work for an overseas aid agency. And it is through her eyes that we hear the full story of the Cairns family ... how Norm and Lorraine lost their own first baby at the age of five days and how they adopted Kim and subsequently four other needy children from third world countries. Two biological children bring the tally to seven. Norm and Lorraine describe themselves as very ordinary Aussies, but their adopted multi-cultural kids charm everyone they come into contact with. The family has experienced the usual range of struggles, but the kids, natural and adopted, have grown up very close and protective of each other, and with a robust outlook on life. They talk of experiencing racism from time to time and how they deal with that in their own quiet way. Norm says "I'm not into any of this multicultural business at all. I just think we're all Australians." PLUS: Folk Hero The second story is introduced by the host of ABC radio's enormously successful Australia All Over, Ian McNamara. It is about Mark Schuster, a Queensland based folk historian who has dedicated his life to preserving Australia's rich tradition of folk music. Mark travels country towns with his accordion, encouraging local people to recall the tunes of sixty or seventy years ago. So far, the 38 year old computer map maker has taped 300 hours of traditional bush, folk and dance music. The National Library in Canberra has been busy collating the material and Mark hopes eventually to release a CD of the folk tunes he has gathered.
Genres : Biography Documentary
Release date : May 2, 1997
Countries of origin : Australia
Official sites : ABC iView Official Australian Story Website
Language : English
Filming locations : ABC Studios, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Production companies : Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
