Australia Uninhabited Mystery Solved – Turns Out The Fruit Juice Was SBS!

You cheeky public broadcasting bastards.

We’ve been following the story of The Australia Uninhabited video mystery quite closely here at Defamer Australia (see here, here, here, and here). And now, at last, we finally have some answers. It was a canny ruse to promote a new SBS show!

A stunt promising free land in Australia to British citizens has created intrigue on both sides of the world. A mobile billboard, describing Australia as “uninhabited” with “free land for the taking”, was paraded around major landmarks in London, sparking interest and debate.

SBS today admitted that it was behind the stunt, which draws parallels with the decision made by the British in 1788 to declare Australia ‘terra nullius’, or unowned land. The aim is to highlight the broadcaster’s screening of First Australians, a landmark series detailing the story of Australia as never seen before, from the perspective of Indigenous people.

And apparently our stance was defensive, according to the press release from SBS. As it should be! WE WILL NOT ABIDE BY LIES UNLESS THEY’RE OUR LIES!

The British public were left bemused by the stunt

- One passer-by was suitably sold on the idea of free land in Australia claiming he would “get on a horse, get on a boat, [or] get on a plane and get to Australia to get some land right now.”

- Others were more skeptical asking just how real the offer was while some questioned what this meant to the indigenous population. “What do the Aborigines think about this?” asked one bystander.

Australian reaction

- Popular Australian blog site Defamer received tip offs from Australians in London sending in video footage taken on their mobiles.

- In a number of posts it took a defensive stance arguing the claim was “based on fibs. Australia – Free Land For The Taking? I think not.”

- Its 170,000 strong community was equally baffled although some did suggest an indigenous rights campaign might be behind the stunt.

At least they called us popular. That comforts us.

We will drink your fruit juice, SBS. We will drink it up!

MORE: Free For The Taking (AN SBS SITE, IT SEEMS)