'Not just for me': Why Tam preserved 30 years of radio programs across 2,000 cassette tapes
SBS has helped Vietnamese migrants navigate life in Australia since their arrival after the end of the Vietnam War 50 years ago.
As SBS celebrates its 50th anniversary, young Australians are still tuning in to stay connected to their heritage. For more than 30 years, Tam Hanh has recorded and preserved more than 2,000 cassette tapes of SBS radio programs. Hanh said it offered her connection and comfort after coming to Australia as a refugee. "I remember when I first arrived in Australia, I would sit beside my Singer sewing machine every day, waiting for SBS Vietnamese radio," she recalled. "I placed over 10 tape recorders around my house to record my favourite programs. I was busy, and sometimes I couldn't listen carefully, so I recorded them to replay later. Over time, it became a habit.
"There were also important programs I wanted to keep, such as those about Vietnamese history, the Vietnam War, or scientific advancements. That's how I started recording to preserve them for the future."
Tam Hanh classifying her cassette tapes. Credit: SBS Vietnamese Hanh regards these cassettes as significant cultural keepsakes and a way to preserve the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Australia for the next generations.
This was not just for me, it also helped others who couldn't tune in live. When I first came to Australia, my English was limited, so I had to learn as much as possible. Tam Hanh
"Now, I see the significance of preserving these programs to help future generations understand the contributions of Vietnamese people to the community."
Broadcasting in Vietnamese SBS expanded its programming to include the Vietnamese language in 1977. To this day, it serves as an important resource for many, fostering a connection to language and culture.
In the years following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, an estimated two million people fled to countries including the United States, Canada, France, and Australia, significantly growing Australia's Vietnamese community.
The Australian Vietnamese Women's Association (AVWA), a community organisation serving the Vietnamese community since 1983, is led by Nicky Chung, who left Vietnam by boat and arrived in Australia in 1979.
"SBS was easy to hear, easy to understand. We watched the news every night as a family. My dad always emphasised how important it was to have a trusted source of information so we could integrate faster and build a successful life in Australia," Chung said.
Nicky Chung, CEO of the Australian Vietnamese Women's Association. Credit: SBS Vietnamese SBS services continue to provide practical guidance on areas like healthcare, employment, education, and legal matters, helping migrants and refugees transition smoothly into Australian society.
"Broadcasting in Vietnamese and other languages shows Australia's commitment to multiculturalism. We are all seeking a sense of belonging, and SBS reaffirms that we are part of the Australian fabric, despite our displaced history," Chung said.
Connecting communities: The role of SBS for new arrivals Khanh Tho arrived in Australia in 1986 after spending 11 years attempting to flee Vietnam and being repeatedly stopped by authorities. "Our small wooden boat, just 23 metres long and a little over 10 metres wide, carried 230 people. We endured seven days and nights adrift without an engine, battered by towering waves and fierce winds, as water flooded our boat," Tho said. "We had seven encounters with pirates, we suffered robbery, beatings, and assaults. The terror was indescribable as we watched our loved ones being taken.
"Yet, on the afternoon of 10 December, 1987, a sudden storm arose, miraculously carrying our boat to shore in Pattani Province, Thailand."
Khanh Tho is a Vietnamese language teacher and former principal of the Truong Vinh Ky language school. Credit: SBS Vietnamese Tho said the SBS Vietnamese program had played a vital role in helping herself and her family navigate life in Australia. "When we left our homeland, we never imagined that one day we would be able to listen to Vietnamese-language radio broadcasts, especially from a station funded by the Australian government," she said.
"Every evening, we became loyal listeners of SBS, where we could stay updated with news from around the world, our homeland, and the Vietnamese-Australian community.
SBS has played a vital role in strengthening emotional bonds and fostering understanding between generations, especially in families like ours, where grandparents, parents, and children live together under one roof. Khanh Tho
"The programs are rich and diverse, address important social issues that parents and grandparents often struggle with due to language barriers and cultural differences, for example, understanding and supporting children who identify as LGBTIQ+."
Tho, who has worked as a Vietnamese language teacher since 1987, said the SBS Vietnamese program was a key linguistic and cultural resource for her students. "As a teacher and a mentor, I always strive to enrich teaching and learning materials for both teachers and students, and SBS has been an invaluable resource," she said. "The station features clear pronunciation from announcers representing all three main Vietnamese accents — north, central, and south — as well as some speakers with a slight Australian accent." Tho said that recording segments of broadcasts on history, current events, and famous landmarks to incorporate into lessons had been a great way to keep students connected with what was happening around them and in the world. "Short educational and cultural videos, often shared by students themselves in Vietnamese, help them take pride in their heritage and identity," she added.
Tho said SBS Vietnamese continued to be a pillar for the community, preserving language, culture, and the voices of those who had come before.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
Cane fires return as Qld growers battle to harvest last year's poor crop
A still smoke haze hangs in the air as cane farmer Bill Holding raises his voice to address the gathered crowd. "Standover fires are probably one of the best fires you'll see — super heat, big flames, heaps of warmth," he said. "I've probably had 50 years of lighting fires, but I don't do it much anymore. It's all green cane harvesting." Once a common farm practice, pre-harvest burning is now largely a tourist attraction, but not for this group gathered in a paddock at Calen, about 50 kilometres north of Mackay. Walking in the wake of the cane fire he is lighting, Bill explains the history to the spectators, but also why this year, farmers have returned to the burn. The first cane fire in Australia was an accident. In 1897, the newly completed Mossman Mill crushed its first cane ahead of schedule, after a fire burned through Mrs Annie Rose's crop at Bonnie Doon. At the time, the crop was cut by hand, using thousands of indentured South Sea Islanders either kidnapped or misled into coming to Australia. By the 1930s, immigrants from Italy and other European nations had largely replaced those workers, and cane fires remained rare, but not unheard of. But amid a broader power struggle between the unionised migrant workers and millers and farm owners, burning cane became a battlefield. An epidemic of Weil's disease, otherwise known as leptospirosis, was being spread by rats in the cane fields of Ingham — and cane cutters were dying. A 1934 article in the Medical Journal of Australia reported 138 cases of the bacteria that can cause jaundice, kidney failure and bleeding from the lungs. Burning was recommended to eradicate the rats but the industry resisted, worried it would hurt the value of the crop at a time when prices were already crashing. Strikes broke out, and in 1936 an Industrial Court order made burning before harvest mandatory in certain conditions. By the end of World War II, cane fires had become standard practice. By Bill's time, harvesting had moved from hand-cutting to mechanical, but burning was still commonplace to remove "trash" like loose and dead leaves and weeds. But there was growing pressure from opponents concerned about the risk of escaped fires, ash falls, lowered air quality and the overall environmental impact. By the 1990s, new harvester technology allowed farmers to embrace cutting green. "It was better for the environment, better for moisture retention, better for everything," Bill said. Despite largely moving on, this season's farmers are once again reaching for the drip torch, reigniting the old technique. Grower representative group Canegrowers estimated 85 per cent of Queensland's cane was now green harvested, though cane fires are still regularly used in parts of the Burdekin and NSW. The exception is standover cane — older plantings left in the paddock that could not be harvested the year before. In districts like Mackay there is an abundance of standover cane left behind from a troubled crush, plagued by wet weather and mill breakdowns. "Last year was probably the most standover we've left in a long, long time," Mackay Canegrowers chairman Joseph Borg said. To conduct a cane burn, Joseph said typically two people would don firefighting equipment and head out at night, when it is cooler and easier to spot stray sparks. "It is a fine art," he said. "The older guys, it's amazing what they can do with a drip torch and how they can make fire draw into itself. "They know how to make fire work for you rather than against you." The dried leaf trash burns from the outside in, eventually running out of fuel because woodier green cane sticks will not burn. Farmers need a permit to burn, and Joseph said the wider community also needed to be informed about the risks. "The town has certainly expanded over the last 25 years into the rural areas … people have never seen it before." He urged inquisitive spectators to slow down if driving near a fire, and account for the smoke. One cane farm has opted to manage the crowds mesmerised by their dazzling spectacle by turning it into a ticketed event. Gathered on the banks of a picturesque dam at Oh Deere Farm Stay in Calen, hundreds of people waited for the burn. Children played on swings as parents chatted in camp chairs, near the barbecue, a full bar and a live band. As the sun went down, Bill Holding helped light up the cane paddock. Static crackling gave way to a flame that towered over the field and ripped across the horizon. Within minutes, the skyline calmed and a smoky dusk settled — the only flames now glowing campfires attended into the evening. Owner Karinda Anderson farmed in Tasmania before moving to Calen nine years ago, adding the farm stay alongside the cane production. Four years ago, she started offering farm tours, but this was the first public cane burning event she had hosted. The rise in burns this year was an exception, but grower Joseph Borg said the industry would always be adaptable. "Our industry has been around for 100 years … hopefully it'll be there for another hundred," he said.
ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
North Queensland community pays tribute to Indigenous elder with legacy of 'healing'
A north Queensland elder instrumental in helping men and youths turn their lives around and reconnect with culture has been remembered as a gentle leader and tireless community worker. Bindal elder Uncle Alfred Smallwood Senior died from cancer on Sunday with his family by his side. For decades, Mr Smallwood Senior, known affectionately as "Bimbo", devoted his life to running a men's group that became a sanctuary for men across generations. "He was a legend of his time. Doing so much healing for men, both black and white," said his sister Gracelyn Smallwood. Starting in 2005 as a small weekly gathering, Uncle Alfred's Men's Group grew into a lifeline for those seeking camaraderie, purpose and a safe space to share stories and struggles. Under his guidance and lived experience, the group offered practical support for men recently released from the corrections system and those who battled addiction with the aim of restoring dignity, respect and belonging. In 2015, Uncle Alfred presented his work on the international stage at the World Indigenous Education Conference in Hawaii. Four years later, he was named Male Senior of the Year in his hometown of Townsville for his volunteer work offering men a second chance with their families, employment and themselves. "He was a chip off our beautiful dad's block, Archie Smallwood; kind, humble, transparent and marched for all to have quality human rights," Dr Smallwood said. "He has left a big legacy for Townsville and the world." Uncle Alfred worked closely with the Townsville Justice Group, volunteering as a Murri Court Elder, director and later a family support officer, where he remained steadfast in supporting local families navigating the justice system. The men's group became a reference point to Townsville magistrates and lawyers for people who had entered the justice system. North Queensland Law Association committee member and criminal lawyer Lorelei Billing said Uncle Alfred's Men's Group became a reference point for Townsville magistrates and lawyers. "The impact on Indigenous and non-Indigenous men has been profound, helping to break cycles, return to their families and communities as stronger contributing members of society." Uncle Alfred's eldest sister, Aunty Dorothy Savage, believed his formative years helped shape him into someone who could give firsthand mentorship to those struggling. "He had a rough life growing up, but his lived experience was what made his men's group so successful. People could trust him," said Ms Savage. Uncle Alfred was a familiar figure at community events, school gatherings and local ceremonies, generous with his time and stories. "Our hearts are broken, and our family and close friends are shattered, but his good work will continue, and our darling will never be forgotten," said Dr Smallwood.
SBS Australia
13 hours ago
- SBS Australia
National reforms fast-tracked for 'Working With Children Check' system
Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox. Your email address * Morning (Mon–Fri) Afternoon (Mon–Fri) Weekend Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to SBS's terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.
