The Tall Man's story has now been documented as a book and a film. Chloe Hooper's 2008 non-fiction account is very personal as she was both a participant in, and witness to, much of the unfolding drama. It ranks with Anna Funder's Stasiland as one of the best non-fiction narratives by Australian authors in recent times. Whilst Tony Krawitz's 2011 documentary treads the same ground, it has a more impersonal, objective voice.

Both treatments are confronting, distressing and disturbing. The following are taken from earlier online posts that explored these attempts to understand Cameron Doomadgee's tragic death and the ongoing troubles of Palm Island.

It was pure coincidence that our book club was discussing Chloe Hooper's award winning The Tall Man last week. It is the account of the 2004 death in police custody of Cameron Doomadgee and the trail of Senior Sergeant Christopher Hurley. The Inquest into the death has reopened on Queensland's Palm Island:

An inquest into the death held in 2005 concluded that Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley caused the fatal injuries.

He was found not guilty of manslaughter and assault in 2007.

Sergeant Hurley later appealed the original inquest findings and a district court judge ordered the inquest be reopened.

Doomadgee inquest reopens

Our club members are mostly in their thirties plus two baby boomers to add a bit of living history, sort of fiction fossils. In this case it was non-fiction. The general consensus was that Chloe has given a balanced account despite her closeness to the Doomadgee's family and legal team.

Andrew Bartlett, former Australian Democrats Senator and current Green's candidate has followed the tragic events:

It is well over five years since Mulrunji Doomagee died in police custody on Palm Island, his ribs broken and his liver nearly sliced in two. Previous coronial inquests and trials have wound a tortuous path, with various assertions about the cause of death ranging from the consequences of a "complicated fall" to suggestions Mulrunji's injuries were inflicted by a more direct methods. Palm Island Inquest Resumes (again)

He links to Monique Bond's blog about Palm Island, Monique's notes re Palm Island and other topics

She concludes her Background on the Mulrinji inquest 2006:

The Inquest cannot change the root causes of the problems on Palm Island. We can cooperate to improve the relationship between islanders and the police. However, unless the power balance changes so that the Islanders own the agenda and an attitude of mutual respect is insisted on, nothing will improve.

The background to this tragic story is very bleak:

• the appalling treatment of indigenous people in Queensland by settlers, government and police;
• the forced relocation of the unwanted and 'undesirables' to Palm Island's virtual prison;
• the continuing consequences of the stolen generations and separated families;
• the culture of apathy and denial within the police, forensic pathologists and the justice system;
• the code of coverup;
• the 'them and us' attitudes of some in the Deep North towards their Southern cousins;
• the legacy of Christian missions on indigenous beliefs and values;
• the sorry state of reconciliation in parts of Australia.

It's hard to come away from this confronting book with any optimism. The investigation was compromised by the casual clubbiness of the police involved. Two key aboriginal witnesses were not called to testify. One, according to Hooper, because of his "drinking and inconsistencies", the other because 'he was "more copper than blackfella"'. The acquittal took only 3 hours of jury deliberations including lunch. It has taken six years for Hurley to make any sort of apology to the family. The leaders of the riot were punished with clinical efficiency.

Too many aboriginal communities are dominated by whites who hold most of the important jobs and the real power. Even aboriginal community police hold little or no real authority.

Chloe Hooper's frank verdict on the tall man:

Hurley had become a kind of folk hero. It was as if he'd been not so much acquitted as forgiven and in forgiving him, people forgave themselves.

It's easy to feel that she was trying to nail him for the still unexplained violent death of Cameron Doomadgee. The book club members felt that she was more interested in exposing the way things are, in finding some kind of truth. Unfortunately the latest inquest is unlikely to nail the truth either.

The Tall Man: Death in Paradise

The Tall Man documents the death in police custody of aboriginal Cameron Doomadgee on Queensland's Palm Island in 2004 and the subsequent inquests and trial of Sergeant Chris Hurley.

One of the best things about this documentary is that it lets the people speak for themselves. There is no heavy narration or running commentary. Of course that doesn't necessarily make it objective or without a point of view. As I wrote about the book's author Chloe Hooper:

It's easy to feel that she was trying to nail him for the still unexplained violent death of Cameron Doomadgee.

Writer/director Tony Krawitz has been essentially true to the book. He explained his approach and views in this interview:

The audience can draw their own conclusions, just as Chloe Hooper's readers had to. Some voices are missing, especially Sergeant Hurley and other members of the police force. We have to rely on extracts from his interviews during the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.

Some aspects are left out such as detailed coverage of the riots and subsequent prosecutions. Some recent developments since publication have been added. It's hard not reach for clichés such as disturbing and confronting. It's also hard to leave the theatre with any feeling of optimism about most of the issues outlined above.

If you missed this quality production at the cinema, SBS should be screening it later and hopefully will be available on SBS OnDemand.

The Tall Man: Palm Island Tragedy