Book Review: The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper

On the 19th November 2004, Cameron Doomadgee swore at a police officer. The 36-year-old aboriginal resident of Palm Island off the coast of Queensland near Townsville was arrested by Christopher Hurley and 40 minutes later was found dead in a cell of the local police station.

In January 2007 Hurley was charged with manslaughter, the first Australian police officer to be charged over a death in custody. He was acquitted in June 2007.

With such a controversial subject, it is a pleasant surprise to discover that Chloe Hooper’s The Tall Man (Penguin, 2008) handles the matter with such restrained sensitivity and intelligence.

Complex Background Issues

With conflicting reports about the actions of both Doomadgee and Hurley, Chloe Hooper has looked beyond the immediate events to provide clarification. She has traced not only the personal history of Chris Hurley but also the history of Palm Island.

For more than 40 years until the late 1960s, Palm Island was used as a reserve for Queensland Aboriginal’s removed from their tribal land and as an open air penitentiary for Aboriginals believed to be troublemakers or dissidents. Early reports urging authorities to consider the consequences of placing different Aboriginal tribes in close quarters were disregarded, resulting in a tense and volatile community.

Christopher Hurley’s background is no less complicated, with a history of working in some of the most remote, difficult police postings and working in close relationship with Aboriginals in these areas. Prior to the events on Palm Island, he had a reputation for solving issues outside of the official channels and there were both positive and negative reports put forward regarding his behaviour and his relationship with the local Aboriginals in the areas where he worked.

A Balanced and Insightful Reporting of Events

Chloe Hooper brings a voice of reason and reflection to this complex situation. Both her personal observations and detailed research are presented in a way that stirs a desire within the reader to follow her search for truth and justice through to its eventual conclusion.

With contradictory witness statements and the tenuous at best relationship between the residents of Palm Island and those in authority, discovering the truth of what happened was never likely to be an easy task. Conflicts of interest by those investigating Doomadgee’s death, lapses in protocol and the generally sensational nature of the event all conspired to create a legal nightmare that continues to be worked out in the courts in the present day.

What Hooper brings to this situation is a commitment to discover what circumstances combined to create an environment where such a tragedy could occur. Without supporting or denying the accusations made against Chris Hurley, she examines the cultural influences that may have conspired to create a social dynamic where distrust, belligerence and intolerance flourish

A Compelling Report into a Tragic Event

Hooper’s reports from the inquest into Doomadgee’s death earned her a Walkley Award and appeared in publications in Australia and internationally. The Tall Man reads as an ongoing report into background of both men, the tragic events of November 19th and the ongoing legal battle to find justice for Cameron Doomadgee’s family and Christopher Hurley’s reputation.

With valuable insights into Australian culture and character, The Tall Man is a report of Hooper’s search for truth in the circumstances surrounding Doomadgee’s death and the subsequent legal proceedings. It makes compelling reading for anyone interested in Australian society, Aboriginal issues and the complex factors that influence human nature and behaviour.

The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper

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