All language subtitles for A.A.S01E04.2160p.WEB.h265-EDITH_track3_[eng]

♪♪♪

NARRATOR: This is Lake Ballard
in Western Australia.

It's home to 51 sculptures

created by renowned
British artist Antony Gormley.

[soft piano]

The work was commissioned

by the Perth
International Arts Festival

to celebrate
its 50th anniversary in 2003.

And the sculptures have
remained here ever since.

Each of these stainless-steel
alloy figures is based

on a laser scan
of one of the residents

of the town of Menzies,

an old gold mining town nearby.

And on the rare occasion
when the salt lake floods,

they appear to float
above the water...

in one of the largest
outdoor galleries on Earth.

♪♪♪

[dramatic music]

Vast landscapes
and epic terrain are

the very essence
of this western state.

A place where it's possible
to escape the crowds

and discover places
lost in time.

Everything here is
on a grand scale.

Its people exude
that indomitable spirit

which makes
anything possible.

And at its heart,
an ancient culture

with a deep connection
to the land.

Welcome to Western Australia.

[engine rumbling]

[bleating]

♪♪♪

Western Australia is
the country's largest state.

It stretches across the
entire west of the continent,

covering an area
larger than Western Europe.

It has a long human history.

In fact,
some of the ancient petroglyphs

in Murujuga, which include
images of animals now extinct,

are believed to be
over 50,000 years old.

But with the arrival
of Europeans,

this ancient way of life
was devastated.

It began in 1616,

when a Dutch merchant
called Dirk Hartog

made land
on the island of Wirruwana.

Meeting no-one and seeing
no potential for trade,

he carried on up the coast
towards the Dutch East Indies.

However, this part of the world
was now known to Europeans.

Over the next 200 years,

other European explorers
made land

along this vast coastline
but soon moved on.

It wasn't until 1829
that the British established

the Swan River Colony,

over 450 miles south
of Wirruwana.

It later became Perth,
the state capital.

But the event which would
completely change

the course
of the state's history

didn't happen in Perth

but 300 miles to the east.

In 1893,
three Irish prospectors

called Paddy Hannan,
Thomas Flanagan, and Daniel Shea

decided to try their luck

on the traditional lands
of the Wangkatja peoples.

Here, they stumbled across
several nuggets of gold.

It kickstarted a gold rush.

Word spread like wildfire,

and people flocked
to this remote region

from all over the world.

To service their needs,

a town called Kalgoorlie was
built from scratch,

complete with shops,
pubs, and even a brothel.

While nothing could
distract the residents

from their pursuit of gold,

it soon became clear
that the town was lacking

one crucial resource.

Water.

An engineer named
C. Y. O'Connor

came up with
an ingenious solution.

His ambitious plan was
to build a water pipeline

from a dam 330 miles away
to the west,

far further than had
ever been done before.

It involved laying
60,000 sections of pipe

and building huge
steam-driven pumping stations

to keep the water flowing.

At the time, people thought
it was impossible.

Yet in 1903,
after seven years,

the pipeline was complete.

It's still considered to be
one of Australia's

greatest engineering
achievements

and to this day,
provides water

to over 100,000 people.

♪♪♪

As more mines sprung up
across the region,

overseas investors began
to take note.

In 1898, a London-based firm
called Bewick Moreing

decided to send a 23-year-old
American mining engineer

to the Goldfields
in search of a new investment.

His name was Herbert Hoover,

later to become
the 31st president

of the United States.

Hoover advised the firm to buy
a mine at Gwalia,

and, for a time,
he became the mine's manager.

One of his first acts
was to commission

a house on a hill
overlooking the mine.

It stood as a symbol
of the manager's authority.

Hoover began overhauling
production processes

to increase profits
for his London bosses.

But the mine's success

still depended
upon an immigrant workforce

desperate enough
to accept the low wages

and terrible
working conditions.

And below the pit,
you can find the remnants

of the village
in which they lived,

as if stuck in time.

Its inhabitants were
mostly from Northern Italy

and Yugoslavia.

Arriving with nothing,
they constructed basic dwellings

out of whatever materials
they could find,

including wood and burlap.

Homes were built here
from 1898,

and before long,
it was a thriving town

with a general store, churches,

a school, and a pub.

But when the mine
closed in 1963,

hundreds of families were forced
to abandon their homes

to search for work elsewhere.

For those first miners,

it wasn't all hard work.

When not seeking their fortune,

they found ways to spend it.

And one unusual gambling game
soon took off.

It's called Two Up.

Gambling was heavily
restricted at the time,

so games of Two Up were held
out in the bush,

away from the prying eyes
of the authorities.

The location was marked
by a 44-gallon drum

at the side of a track.

The rules are simple.

Two coins are placed
on a wooden paddle

and tossed into the air.

Bets are placed
on which way they land.

Two heads,
you win,

two tails, you lose.

One of each,
and you play again.

Unregulated gambling
like this is still banned

in much of Australia.

But this makeshift arena

has had a special license
since 1983

and is still going strong.

♪♪♪

Today, workers
from all over the world

continue to come
to Kalgoorlie,

in the spirit
of those early miners.

And the town's biggest employer
by far is the Super Pit.

At over two miles long

and nearly 2,000 feet deep,

it's one of the largest
open pit gold mines

in the world.

It's made up of around
260 individual mining leases,

many dating
from the gold rush days,

which have been joined together
into one huge mine.

It operates 24/7,

365 days a year.

And the machinery
involved is massive.

The excavators here can move
over 88 tons of rock

in a single scoop.

And each of these haul trucks
can carry over 250 tons,

the same as over
100 large family cars.

All the trucks are
tracked by GPS

from a central dispatch
to ensure optimum efficiency.

And the roads are
meticulously well maintained.

With each tire costing
over $23,000 US,

punctures come at a huge cost.

At the top of the pit,
the ore is loaded

into a crusher
before being ground

into a fine powder
at the mill.

The powder undergoes
a series of complex processes

to extract
the precious gold,

which is then
turned into ingots

and stamped
with a unique code.

Mining is an environmentally-
taxing process,

so throughout the mine,
strict rules must be followed

to minimize
air and water pollution

and to safely dispose
of vast amounts of waste,

all adding to the cost.

However, the Super Pit still
turns a healthy profit

and produces around 4% of
Australia's total gold output.

And to date, it's produced

over 65 million
troy ounces

or over 2,200 tons.

♪♪♪

The land around
Kalgoorlie contains

one of the richest
gold deposits on Earth.

But while gold steals
the limelight,

there is another mineral here
which is found

in far greater quantities.

Salt.

For a while, salt mining
occurred on these ancient lakes,

but in more recent years,

mining has given way
to a very different activity.

Lake Lefroy is one
of the best places in the world

for land sailing.

Covering an area
of 200 square miles,

it's the perfect playground
for this niche sport.

And when the wind picks up,

these land yachts can
reach speeds

of over 60 miles per hour.

Extraordinary landscapes
can be found

all across
Western Australia...

including a UNESCO
World Heritage site so remote

and inaccessible
that it remained unknown

to the outside world
until 1983.

[soft music]

NARRATOR:
Extraordinary landscapes

define much
of Western Australia.

And some of the most remarkable
are found in the far north

of the state
in an area known

as the Kimberley.

This vast region,
the same size as California,

was one of the first parts
of Australia to be inhabited,

around 65,000 years ago.

Today, it has a population
of just 35,000,

and 40% are
of Aboriginal descent.

Connection to the land
runs deep here,

and features
in this extraordinary landscape

are steeped
in ancient meaning.

♪♪♪

This is Purnululu...

a geological formation
with huge cultural

and spiritual significance
to the Jaru and Gija people.

According to
one dreaming story,

the domes are
the children of the clans,

created when
a spirit sprinkled sand

from the night sky.

The region is so remote,
it was unknown

to the outside world
until 1983,

when an airborne film crew
featured Purnululu

in their documentary

"The Wonders
of Western Australia."

It put this geological marvel
firmly on the map.

Today, Purnululu is
considered to be

the most exceptional example
of sandstone karst domes

anywhere in the world.

The domes,
some over 800 feet high,

are formed
out of sedimentary rock

laid down around
360 million years ago.

Through a combination
of weathering, dissolution,

and erosion over
the last 20 million years,

these extraordinary formations
have appeared,

creating an intricate network
of gorges and chasms.

♪♪♪

The distinctive orange banding

is due to the oxidation
of iron in the sandstone,

more commonly known as rust.

The Purnululu National Park is
considered so special

that, in 2003,
it was inscribed

on the UNESCO
World Heritage list

due to its incredible
natural beauty

and outstanding
geological value.

However, the Kimberley has
a dark history.

The arrival of Europeans
in 1879 was the start

of a highly traumatic period
for the Aboriginal peoples

who have lived here
for tens of thousands of years.

Pastoralists took their land,

creating huge
cattle stations,

and forced them to work
for little or no money.

The intergenerational trauma
this created

has enormous impacts
to this day.

In recent years,
efforts have been made

to right the wrongs
of the past.

Aboriginal groups
have campaigned

for native title rights,
and today,

over 97% of the Kimberley

is determined
as native title land.

It means their land rights are
recognized under Australian law,

helping to empower
Aboriginal people

to build a better future
for their children.

♪♪♪

Nowadays, most visitors
to the Kimberley come

for adventure tourism.

The Gibb River Road is
an iconic 400-mile trail

of mostly unpaved road

which cuts through the center
of this remote region,

giving access to some
of the most spectacular

natural wonders
in Western Australia.

And this includes
the Mitchell Falls...

known as Punamii-Uunpuu

to the Wunambal Gaambera people.

Reached by a side trail
off the Gibb River Road,

it's the jewel in the crown
of this remarkable region.

The huge plateau
on which it sits

is thought to be the only part
of mainland Australia

where no native species
extinctions have occurred

since European colonization.

Yet, in recent years,

the land has come under threat
from mining.

In 2015,
after extensive negotiations,

a mining ban was imposed,

promising to conserve
this spectacular landscape

for future generations.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

Flying on to the state's
western coastline,

things are about
to get even bigger...

with the chance
to get up close and personal

with the world's
largest shark.

[insects chirping]

NARRATOR:
The Kimberley coastline

extends for over 7,000 miles

along the northwest
of Australia,

with more than
2,500 islands just offshore.

This remote region is famous

for one particular
natural phenomenon.

Its tides.

In fact, at over 36 feet,

they are among
the highest in the world.

Twice a day
as the tide goes out,

water cascades
off this ocean reef,

creating a phenomenal
natural display.

And at Garaangaddim,
on Dambimangari Country,

the effect is
equally spectacular.

Here, the ocean builds up
on one side of a narrow channel

faster than
it can flow through it,

creating a waterfall
up to 13 feet high.

The direction of the falls
changes with the tide.

It's been described
by Sir David Attenborough

as one of the world's
greatest natural wonders.

♪♪♪

The region's huge tides

bring in a constant supply
of nutrients from the ocean.

Combined with
a lack of pollutants,

this makes the region one
of the best places in the world

to find pearls.

Pearls occur naturally
in salt and freshwater mollusks,

and pearl shells have
been traded here

by Aboriginal people
for thousands of years.

But it wasn't
until the 1950s

that pearls here
began to be cultured

through human intervention.

In this process,
a foreign object is placed

inside an oyster,
and it's returned to the ocean.

The oyster starts
encasing the object

with a substance called nacre
to protect itself.

Around two years later,
the oyster is retrieved

and the pearl removed
from inside.

Today, the pearling industry
is still going strong.

It's the state's second-largest
commercial fishery

and is worth
over $40 million US a year.

Flying further south
along the coast,

there's a remarkable
underwater ecosystem

just offshore.

This is Ningaloo Reef.

Unlike the more famous
Great Barrier Reef,

which can be
up to 100 miles offshore,

this western wonder is
a fringing reef,

meaning it grows out
from land.

It's the largest
of its kind in the world.

Every year
in March and April,

the coral spawns,
leading to a feeding frenzy

among the plankton
and krill.

This, in turn, attracts
one extraordinary fish.

The whale shark.

It's thought that whale sharks
migrate to Ningaloo

from thousands of miles away
for this annual event.

Like some types of whales,
they are filter feeders.

But as they breathe through
gills and have cartilage,

they are actually
a type of shark.

A fully-grown whale shark can
be up to 65 feet long

and weigh over 22 tons,

making it
the world's largest fish.

Yet they travel at a leisurely
three miles per hour,

meaning it's possible
for a fast swimmer

to keep up with them.

To minimize disturbance,

tours follow strict rules
around any interaction.

In 2022,
nearly 36,000 people

swam with the whale sharks
at Ningaloo,

in what is considered to be
one of the best places

in the world
for an intimate encounter

with this gentle giant
of the ocean.

♪♪♪

Traveling back up the coast is
the main town

of the Kimberley region,
Broome.

And a trip here
wouldn't be complete

without taking in the sunset

over the Indian Ocean
at Cable Beach.

But there's one unexpected way
to experience it.

Camels were introduced
to Australia in the 1840s

by Europeans
who needed a pack animal

to help them explore
the continent's

vast, dry interior.

The camel, which could go
for over a week without water,

was far more suitable
than the horse.

Until the 1930s,
thousands of camels

were imported
from the Arabian Peninsula,

India, and Afghanistan,
along with their handlers,

contributing
to the economic development

of the continent's interior.

But with the arrival
of the motorcar,

the camel industry collapsed,

and thousands were
released into the wild.

There are now estimated to be
over a million camels

running wild in Australia,

mostly in the arid central
and western regions

of the continent.

♪♪♪

There's far more
to Western Australia

than stunning landscapes.

Digging a little deeper reveals
a fascinating history,

including an imposing prison

which once held the state's
most notorious criminals.

♪♪♪

NARRATOR: Western Australia is
a vast, sparsely populated state

with less than
three people per square mile.

Over three quarters
of its inhabitants

live in its capital, Perth.

At over 2,000 miles
from Sydney in New South Wales,

it's geographically closer
to Jakarta.

There's no city of this size
anywhere in the world

that's so remote.

For first time visitors,

it's the shiny
financial district

on the banks of the Swan River
which catches the eye.

It's home to the headquarters

of eight
of the world's top 14

international
energy companies.

And beneath the surface,
visitors will soon discover

a human history
dating back 45,000 years.

The Noongar People call
the river Derbarl Yerrigan,

and it's a place
of huge cultural significance.

It was a site for rituals
and initiation ceremonies

as well as a place
for fishing and trade.

Then, in 1829,

this ancient way of life was
impacted forever

when the British established
the Swan River Colony.

Two years later,

they built the first
permanent structure,

a jail called
the Round House.

The design is a panopticon.

It allowed a single jailer
to control eight cells

as the inmates couldn't tell

whether or not
they were being watched.

It was used for both colonial
and Aboriginal prisoners

until 1886.

But for many of
the Aboriginal people held here,

the Roundhouse was
just a stop on their journey

to another
notorious facility,

12 miles offshore,

the Rottnest Island
Aboriginal Establishment.

From the late 1830s,

thousands of
Aboriginal men and boys

were incarcerated
on Rottnest Island,

from across
Western Australia,

often for petty crimes.

The entire island,
which is around

a third the size
of Manhattan,

was used as a prison.

The colonial authorities
believed an island prison was

more humanitarian
than the confinement

of European-style prisons,

as inmates were
occasionally allowed

to move around the island
to go hunting and fishing.

However, as more men arrived,

disease spread rapidly.

One winter,
at least 60 men died.

On top of the cruelty
they experienced,

for Aboriginal people,
forced separation

from country and culture
was devastating,

and it had
terrible repercussions,

not only for the prisoners,

but for the communities
they left behind.

The facility closed in 1902.

Back on the mainland,
most of the state's

European prisoners were taken
to Fremantle Prison.

This imposing jail complex
was completed in 1859.

At the time, it stood alone
in the landscape

as a symbol of British
colonial authority.

The main cell block,
which is based

on Pentonville Prison
in London,

was designed to support
a new system

of prison management,
in which inmates

were held
in solitary confinement

and absolute silence,

so they could reflect
on their crimes.

Up to a thousand prisoners
were held here.

The jail remained
in operation until 1991,

and today, it's possible
to do tours of the cell blocks

and even catch a concert
in the prison yard--

a far cry from the hardships
experienced here

by some of the state's
most notorious criminals.

The jail sits not far
from another iconic landmark

which charts
the history of this region.

This is Fremantle Port.

A place fundamental
to the economic growth

of Western Australia.

It was designed
by C. Y. O'Connor,

the same engineer responsible

for the water pipeline
to the gold fields.

Back in the late 19th century,

he understood that
shipping was on the cusp

of massive change

as steam power began
to replace the sail.

He had the foresight
to create a port

far wider than necessary
at the time,

so that it would be able
to accommodate

much larger ships
in the future.

Construction took five years

and involved clearing
10 million cubic yards of sand.

It finally opened in 1897.

Today, the port handles nearly
all of Western Australia's

container trade,
something it's able to do

because of C. Y. O'Connor's
extraordinary vision,

over 100 years earlier.

♪♪♪

With so much
undeveloped coastline,

it's no wonder
that Western Australia

boasts exceptional
fishing grounds.

In fact, it's home
to Australia's

most valuable single-species
wild capture fishery...

the western
rock lobster,

known locally as crayfish.

The center of the industry is
250 miles north of Perth...

in the Houtman Abrolhos,

a group
of islands and reefs

on the edge
of the continental shelf.

Land here can't be bought,

but is leased
from the government,

with the lease
often passing down

through the generations.

♪♪♪

Jesse Lydon is
one of the lucky benefactors.

His grandfather was
a lobster fisherman in England

who came to the Abrolhos
after World War II.

Jesse still fishes
these waters

along with
his mother, Jane,

keeping the family
tradition alive.

One of the best spots
to fish is

beside the overhangs
on the islands' many reefs.

This is where
the crayfish like to hide.

The technique is simple.

Pots are baited and dropped
over the side of the boat

with a buoy attached
by a rope to mark the spot.

The pots are
then left overnight

to give the crayfish time
to take the bait.

The next day, the pots are
hauled back on board

with the night's catch
trapped inside.

Crayfish are caught
to a strict quota,

and 95% are exported
to overseas markets

where they fetch top dollar.

But today's catch is
just for dinner.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

It's not just
the seas which yield

an abundance of produce here.

Western Australia is
responsible

for 40% of the country's
total wheat production.

Much of it comes
from an area

called the Wheatbelt.

The Wheatbelt is
in the southwest of the state.

Here, miles
of flat, fertile land

and dependable rainfall
make it the perfect place

for growing grain crops.

In the southeast, is
the town of Newdegate.

Peter's family have been
farming the land here

since 1926.

It's December,
their busiest time of year,

and the harvest is
in full swing.

First, the combine harvester
separates out the grain...

which is then taken
to huge storage sheds in town.

Here, silos load the grain

onto freight trains...

which run along
a network of lines

to the coastal ports.

Up to 75% of Australia's
wheat is exported,

mostly to Asia
and the Middle East.

In 2015, a not-for-profit
cultural organization

called FORM saw
an opportunity to put

the wheatbelt towns
on the cultural map.

They invited local
and international artists

to paint the silos
found across the region.

Over the next three years,

these huge blank canvases
were transformed

into unique works of art.

The silos in Newdegate

were painted
by local artist Brenton See.

They feature wildlife native
to Western Australia

including the Western
Bearded Dragon,

the Red-Tailed Phascogale,

and the malleefowl.

The concept
of a Silo Art Trail

has proved so popular,

that it's now spreading
right across Australia.

Back on the coast,
a warm, maritime climate

has produced a wine region

that's punching
above its weight,

and a secret surf spot
that's home

to one of
the most challenging

and dangerous waves
in the world.

♪♪♪

NARRATOR: Flying inland
to the southeast

of Western Australia,

the landscape changes yet again.

This remote region receives
extremely low rainfall.

The landscape is covered
with drought-resistant plants

such as saltbush.

The first Europeans
to explore the region

considered it hostile,

even though Aboriginal people
have thrived here

for thousands of years.

It wasn't
until the 20th century,

that the Europeans discovered
a way to utilize the land

for their own purposes.

Sheep farming.

And today,
it's done on a huge scale.

This is Rawlinna,

the biggest sheep station
in Australia.

It covers an area nearly
the size of metropolitan Sydney.

It's home
to around 60,000 Merino sheep,

a Spanish variety
first introduced to Australia

in 1797.

Merinos were found to be
far more suited

to the Australian environment
than earlier breeds

and, most importantly,

produce an abundance of wool.

♪♪♪

Once a year,
starting in March,

the sheep at Rawlinna are
gathered for shearing.

But due to the size
of the property,

this is no easy task.

First, a spotter plane is used
to locate the sheep.

MAN OVER RADIO:
Yeah, that's north-northwest.

WOMAN OVER RADIO:
Yeah, no worries, I'm on my way.

NARRATOR: Then,
workers known as jackaroos

bring them in on motorbikes.

MAN ON RADIO:
Troy, you got a copy?

TROY ON RADIO: Copy.

MAN: How are your sheep
going on the wool road?

TROY: We're only about two
and a half K from the north end.

MAN: Yeah, roger that.

I'll come back over now.

Thanks for
a great muster, everyone,

you all did really well.

MAN 2 ON RADIO:
Thanks, mate.

NARRATOR: The sheep are taken
from the corrals

into a 16-stand shearing shed.

As shearers are paid per sheep,
they must work fast.

The very best can shear a sheep
in as little as two minutes.

Then, the fleeces are
compressed into bales

and taken to market.

Around 80% of the wool
produced in Western Australia

is sent to China.

And as a whole,
Australia produces

more than half
of the world's merino wool.

♪♪♪

Around 80% of the population
of Western Australia

lives within six miles
of the ocean.

And a popular weekend getaway
for people from Perth,

is Margaret River,

a coastal region
south of the capital.

Strong maritime influences

bring heavy rainfall
in the winter,

yet the summers are
long and mild.

Combined with gravelly soils,

this makes the region ideal
for growing grapevines.

[bright strings]

In fact, there are
over 200 wineries here.

And when the grapes are
ready for harvest,

it's all hands on deck.

Harvesting normally
begins at night,

when temperatures are lower
and the grapes cooler,

keeping them fresh
and full of flavor.

And the very best wine,
is made from grapes

which are picked by hand.

It's labor-intensive work,
but this method is

not only gentler
on the fruit,

but also ensures
that only the very best grapes

are selected.

And this approach has paid off.

While Margaret River
accounts for just 3%

of Australia's
total grape production,

it commands over 20%

of the Australian
premium wine market.

It's best known
for its outstanding

cabernet sauvignon
and chardonnay.

With its exceptional
reef breaks,

this part of
Australia's western coast

has a strong
surfing culture.

There are over
70 high-quality waves here,

and the World Surf League has
even made Margaret River

a stop on its global tour.

But around
200 miles southeast,

is a legendary wave
which is the domain

of only the bravest
and most experienced surfers.

It's called The Right.

During winter,
huge storms

out in the Southern Ocean
create massive swells,

which break
at this very point.

The waves are so large,
that surfers must be towed in

by jet ski to generate
enough speed to catch them.

♪♪♪

And once the surfer
lets go of the rope,

they're alone against
the power of Mother Nature.

These waves can reach the height
of a two-story building.

And wipeouts have
resulted in injuries

such as collapsed lungs

and broken bones.

But for those who make it,

there's no better feeling
in the world.

[soft guitar]

Flying further east
along the coast is Albany,

a nondescript town
with a remarkable history.

Just offshore is
a deepwater natural harbor

called King George Sound.

And it was from here,
that the first convoy of ships

left Australia
for the battlefields

of Gallipoli
during World War I.

For many
of the soldiers on board,

it was the last time
they would see their homeland.

On the 25th of April
each year,

the anniversary
of the landings at Gallipoli,

their sacrifice is remembered
on ANZAC Day.

Here and all across the nation,

ceremonies begin at dawn.

According to military tradition,

the service contains
a bugle call,

known as the Last Post.

[mournful bugle fanfare]

[mournful fanfare continues]

♪♪♪

For a nation which,
at the time of World War I,

had a population
of less than 5 million,

Australia paid a heavy price.

♪♪♪

Of the 416,000 who enlisted,

60,000 lost their lives.

Today, ANZAC Day is
a tradition

embraced by the nation

and deeply embedded
in the Australian psyche.

It ensures the sacrifice
of every Australian

who has died in conflict
will never be forgotten.

The isolation
of Western Australia

is also what makes it
so special.

Its people have
a do-it-yourself attitude

and a determination
to succeed against the odds.

That strength of character is
evident everywhere.

From the gold rush era towns
which have developed

into a billion-dollar
mining industry...

to land turned to agriculture

on a massive scale.

Everywhere are hidden stories

that defy the imagination.

Waiting to be discovered

by those
with a sense of adventure.

♪♪♪