What's on TV: Monday, June 29
Back Roads: Biloela
ABC, 8pm
We've all heard of Biloela thanks to the Nadesalingams, the Tamil refugee family deported from there – and the subsequent outrage of the good burghers of that village. What's less known (but in context, not that surprising) is that the central Queensland town – population less than 6000 – is a thriving multicultural hub. Surrounded by farms, the area also supports a mine, a power station, and a meatworks, and people have come from all over the world in search of gainful employment and a fresh start.
Biloela residents Anne Smith (left) and Mary Austin are supporters of Tamil asylum seekers Nadesalingam Murugappan and Priya Nadarasa and their children.Credit:Darren England
Some are migrants. Some are refugees. All have been welcomed. As one old-timer says: "We don't have any problems. Everyone has a job." It's a simple statement that contains a piercing truth. The local church ladies running classes in colloquial Australian ("We'll head over to the servo after brekkie") are just some of the delightful characters and surprising stories crammed in here. The only discordant note is that despite the opening credits identifying the town as being in Gangulu country, the original inhabitants of the area remain conspicuous by their absence.
Guy Sebastian: The Man, the Music
Nine, 9.10pm
It's the central paradox of being a Pop Star – Pop Star, not musician, or even Rock Star – that you're obliged to be simultaneously self-aggrandising and self-effacing. The commercial machine requires you to relentlessly self-promote, while fans demand you remain conspicuously and authentically humble.
Few current popular music heroes manage that juggle as successfully as Guy Sebastian, as this documentary amply (if perhaps unintentionally) demonstrates. And whatever you think of his music, you have to admire the way he's parlayed winning a talent competition into a respected 15-plus year career – nor deny that he's one of the industry's genuine nice guys. Filmed in the lead-up to last year's Ridin' With You tour, fans will love the peek behind-the-scenes, along with plenty of Guy doing what he does best.