An Evening with Vannessa Hearman
About
Join us for an evening with author Vannessa Hearman to celebrate The Good Sea. Vannessa will be joined by special guest Jose da CostaABOUT THE GOOD SEA
In May 1995, after five days and six nights on the Timor Sea, eighteen East Timorese asylum seekers, including a six-month-old baby, sailed into Darwin in a small wooden fishing boat. The Tasi Diak was the only boat to reach Australia throughout the 24-year Indonesian occupation of East Timor.
Drawing on archives, government records, media reports and interviews with the asylum seekers, The Good Sea tells the dramatic story of their perilous journey to Australia. It traces the lives of young activists in the East Timor underground. It examines the powerful impact of the boat's arrival on Australia's relationship with Indonesia in the last years of the Suharto regime - and how it energised the campaign for East Timor's independence.
ABOUT VANNESSA HEARMAN
Author Vannessa Hearman is Associate Professor of History at Curtin University, Western Australia. Born in Indonesia, she is a graduate of the University of Melbourne’s History program. Her research deals with political violence, human rights, and historical memory.
Special guest Jose da Costa is a teacher, writer, actor and filmmaker, born in Indonesian-occupied East Timor and educated in Ballarat. He arrived in Australia aboard the Tasi Diak refugee boat in 1995 and campaigned in Melbourne and regional Victoria to build support for East Timorese independence.
Date
Friday 21 August 2026 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM (UTC+10)Location
George Hotel, Ballarat
The Herring Room, 27 Lydiard St North, Ballarat Vic 3350
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An Evening with Vannessa Hearman
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