Thread: The Message Stick - 'A Kimberley Woman's Journey'

Just received this

Originally Posted by PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday 20 June 2009

To whom it may concern

The 4th of July 2009 is a very special day for America, it is Independence Day, but here on the Sunshine Coast it will be a very important day for The Message Stick vehicle owned by Michael Butler. The Message Stick is a 50 year old Ex Army Ambulance Land Rover that was first built for war and now re-built for a new documentary titled: 'A Kimberley Woman's Journey'

The concept is to rebuild this 50-year-old Land Rover into a state of the art 4 wheel drive with a Filming Production space, Kitchenette and home. In two days, it will be modified for the long, tough and gruelling drive across the Top End of The Kimberley Ranges, Arnhem Land and Cape York regions of Australia driving home the true stories in remote Aboriginal communities and the importance of preserving the stories of the oldest culture in the World.

Local Independent filmmakers of Sacred Oz Production will be filming a13 part 1/2 hour Series titled 'A Kimberley Woman's Journey', based in Coolum on the Sunshine Coast, the first part of the series will be shot in different locations on the Sunshine Coast. The Series will be hosted by Samantha Martin a well-known Indigenous personality on TV and our local Indigenous representative. The project has raised interest and support of major sponsors supporting this project, including Michelin Australia, Dynamic Solar Solutions, Sunshine Motor homes Conversions, British Off Road, Autotek MOMO, OZTENT, Maroochy Car Sound and Bob Jane T Mart Caloundra, Beef Eaters BBQ and Bushman’s Fridge Freezer, Arc Fusion.
Sacred Oz Productions feels the importance in rebuilding The Message Stick vehicle to produce this 13-part 1/2-hour documentary adding a new lease of life and practicality to the vehicle. The documentary will be aired on the new National Indigenous TV station (NITV) broadcasting on AUSTAR here in Australia in July 2010.

The Message Stick vehicle has had enormous success and publicity being screened here in Australia and on has had airtime on ABC, NITV, AUSTAR and Emirates Airlines around the world. The identity of The Message Stick's vehicle has been fashioned by over 200 Aboriginal Artists from various languages groups and communities around Australia, the project has been endorsed by important ambassadors who are doing great things around the World in bringing awareness to Humanity and Cultural Responsibility such as Nelson Mandela, Gough Whitlam, Jack Thompson, Evonne Goolagong Cawley and our most recently addition has been Ian Thorpe's hand prints who is doing great things for Indigenous Health in Australia.

The Message Stick Vehicle has recently had 3 Solar Power Panels placed carefully on the rooftop of the Landy and 4 huge batteries sponsored by Dynamic Solar Solutions in Caloundra by Jamie Hazelden to run a functional editing suit to edit continuously on the road. Paul Meyers from Sunshine Motor homes Conversions have also come on board to refit the back of the landy to provide appropriate storage space, Kitchenette and editing space. Doug & Kerry from Bushman's Fridge Freezer a proudly owned Australian brand on the Gold Coast have donated a 12 Volt Fridge Freezer for camping & four wheel driving with maximum capacity to 52 litre of Gas and Portable Refrigeration. BeefEater BBQ's have sponsored their NEW Sportzgrill BBQ, their handy new portable grill that can be fired up anywhere, a huge thank you to Director Peter Woodland based in Sydney. With a fridge freezer and BBQ this will definitely keep a smile on Samantha's face.

Michelin Australia has been a major proud sponsor of the vehicle for over 10 years and are sponsoring six 315/75/16 KM2 new BF GOODRICH tyres from Adam Storey in Melbourne head office and a new set of specially built Allied Rims proudly sponsored by Martin Tonkin in head office Brisbane. The tyres will be fitted by Bob Jane T Mart in Caloundra and Bob Roman from MOMO Autotek in Sydney is also on board with a MOMO sports steering wheel new MOMO seats. Gary Thompson from Maroochy Car Sound will put the finishing touches inside the vehicle with a sound system and speakers through out The Message Stick vehicle to assist with the great sound editing and to listen to those great tunes donated by local musicians from the band OKA on the Sunshine Coast.

British Off Road at Forest Glen are no strangers to Land Rovers and are happy to be doing all the mechanical work, from fitting long rang fuel tanks to over hauling the engine and gear box and bringing this 50 year old Land Rover into a modern Hi Tec performance vehicle. Shane Viglione from OZTENT in Sydney is supplying their new product; the FOXWING and RV-5 (30 sec) fold out tent for shelter around the production vehicle, making this the ultimate 4-wheel drive home! As you can see we have a lot of people and Sponsors to thank who have been an amazing part of the journey and to finish up we would like to also give a mention to a great friend who has been The Message Stick's official motor mechanic and friend Peter Lutz and his wonderful family for their support over the past few years in maintaining and fixing the Lindy.

The Message Stick vehicle will be completely rebuilt from the ground up with local Sponsors here on the Sunshine Coast and interstate Sponsors who have all been invited along to watch their products being fitted that will transform this historical Land Rover that spent 30 years in the Australian Army before Michael Butler bought the vehicle in Sydney and took it around Australia over a 10 year period. Their has been some rust and Darren Dunstan from Arc Fusion has cut all the rust out fitted a new bull bar and will manufacture new side steps to protect the fuel tanks.

Mr Butler dubbed the vehicle "The Message Stick" and said that he is only re-enacting the traditional way of communication in the Indigenous cultures and is now utilizing a modern day motorised message stick to tell the old and the new stories. Mr Butler is over whelmed by the support from the local Sunshine Coast community and interstate Sponsors, he understands that even in a recession there are really good people out there ready to help if they believe in a good cause which they can support and back with confidence.

Samantha Martin will be hosting the new 13 part series titled 'A Kimberley Woman's Journey". Miss Martin comes from a long line of traditional hunters and healers and said once the vehicle is re built that's when the real work will begin for her to address the 3rd world conditions of the Aboriginal people in remote communities, Miss Martin is very excited about sending a positive message through out this important documentary but also has the passion and drive of bringing education and awareness into your living room with total respect and integrity which she believes we all deserve to know and learn the true stories.

There will be an enormous amount of press and publicity on both days during the 4th and 5th of July 2009. This will be the main days for fitting all the components to The Message Stick vehicle and Sacred Oz Productions and Richard Davies from Sound Images will be filming this exciting process of turning this old girl into a modified machine and you are invited to come along to be apart of this exciting project.

Warm regards,

Michael Butler
Producer/Director
Sacred Oz Productions
www.sacredoz.com.au

'50 year old'

Does this mean it's a four cyl petrol with a rover rear diff. and weak axles ? And I agree don't those rims look terrible.

Deano