Adam Goodes: Who Do You Think You Are?

[YvonneH]

I was genuinely amazed how many records survived intact over the centuries.

The Bombers could learn from that!!

Sorry for derailing the thread, but could not help myself.

[Margo]

He inherited the leadership gene

[Zlatorog]

Great show - a fascinating family history showing the intertwining between his indigenous and Anglo ancestry. No wonder he holds himself with such poise, seeing the stock he comes from.

Just a tad disappointed that no mention of his father's background was shown - I understand that it's a relatively short show and his Mum's side of the family is fascinating, but he certainly looks like his dad. But geez him Mum has done such a great job with him

These sorts of visits into someone's indigenous background and history should be compulsory viewing for all of us.

As much as I loved the whole story line, I have to agree with you re his dad. No word about his background. I know it must be a painful subject, but ignoring it all together was a bit disappointing.

[erica]

As much as I loved the whole story line, I have to agree with you re his dad. No word about his background. I know it must be a painful subject, but ignoring it all together was a bit disappointing.

None of the episodes in this series fully explore both sides of a person's genealogy. The episodes focus on what the editors think make the most interesting viewing. There is always a lot of research left out of the show but the subject receives the benefit of the research.

[CureTheSane]

I watched Lip Service the night before on SBS on demand and nearly fell asleep. I found Adam's story on Who do you think you are infinitely more interesting. Not sure what that says about me!

yep, ch 32 is probably my most watched channel of recent times.
But the way they presented Lip Service in the ads was completely misleading...

[Meg]

None of the episodes in this series fully explore both sides of a person's genealogy. The episodes focus on what the editors think make the most interesting viewing. There is always a lot of research left out of the show but the subject receives the benefit of the research.

This article is interesting in that respect.

?What you see on the TV show is actually 20 per cent of the stuff they actually find,? Goodes said.

?Once this airs next Tuesday I then get the rest of the 80 per cent that they?ve found, and I get to learn so much more about other bits of my family history and ancestry, and there?s another part of my aboriginal ancestry that they didn?t even go into that shows how I?m related to Michael O?Loughlin.?

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/adam-goodes-related-to-mining-millionaire-walter-watson-hughes/story-e6frfmyi-1227018451650

[Primmy]

What Meg said.

One thing that stands out strongly for me in Adam's story is the ancestral need to educate (even GGGGG gave $2m to set up university). That seems to be a driving force in the story which stands firm today with the GO foundation.

It is a shame some found it boring. It is a white ancestral story as well. We need to know what happened. I come from First and Second Fleet stock (assisted passage scheme I call it) but that doesn't make it a lay down that I know enough about what happened in this country from then to now. All information needs to be told and knowledge shared to create greater understanding and empathy between all of us.

I do like Adam's calm. Almost an inner serenity. I find him an interesting man. Not like some of you lot,

[Meg]

I have found myself thinking a lot about Adam's story today. Parts of aboriginal history that we know in general but which become much more immediate (and to some extent more shocking) when it is personalised through someone we feel we know and think of as one of us.

For example, Lisa Sansbury's tears on seeing photos of the parents she never knew because she was taken from them at 5 years old. Her need for identification with her people symbolised by the tattoo on her arm. Two aboriginal women who were part of Goodes' family tree, one from the Adnyamathanha people and the other from the Narungga people, both bearing children of white fathers outside of marriage. Adam's moving and appropriate comment that it both disappointed and angered him that white men had thought it good enough to bed aboriginal women but not good enough to bring those children up as their own.

Primmy is right, it is a white ancestral story as well.

[mcsquirta]

Just a tad disappointed that no mention of his father's background was shown...

Apparently his dad was a collingwood supporter so nobody wanted to follow up on the black&white sheep of the family

[dimelb]

Thank goodness for SBS on Demand. We were out of home last night but watched it tonight. A well-constructed story of Adam's indigenous side, moving and illuminating, and obviously has made a significant input into his own story. We wish him all the best as he travels into his future, with the Swans and beyond. He has much to offer all Australians.

[stellation]

I enjoyed it. One lasting impression that it left me with was that the government should fund similar genealogical studies into family trees for every single member of the stolen generation.