Dean Alston
Encyclopedia
Dean John Douglas Alston (born 1950) is an Australia
n cartoonist
who joined The West Australian
newspaper in 1986.
Dean Alston was born in South Perth, Western Australia
in 1950, and grew up in Mount Pleasant
. In 1967 he started a cadetship in cartography
with Western Australia
's Lands and Surveys Department. In 1980, he bought into the Carine Glades Tavern, running it until 1984. That year, he married Lisa Prendiville with whom he had a daughter Geraldine (Deanie) in 1985 and a son David in 1988. The couple spent the next eighteen months in England
, where Alston worked as a bus driver, drew graphics for British Gas
, and produced a strip cartoon for a news and travel magazine. After returning to Western Australia in 1985, Alston was employed by The West Australian. He took over as cartoonist the following year. As of December 2005, he has published nearly 10,000 cartoons, and won numerous awards, including a Walkley
in 1991.
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In September 1997 The West Australian published a Dean Alston cartoon entitled Alas Poor Yagan
, which criticized that fact that the return of Yagan
's head had become a source of conflict among the Indigenous Australians
of Western Australia
, instead of fostering unity. The cartoon could also be interpreted as casting aspersions on the motives and legitimacy of Indigenous people with mixed racial heritage. The content of the cartoon offended many Aboriginal people, and the elder Robert Bropho
leveled accusations of racism
against The West Australian. Eventually the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
ruled that the cartoon made inappropriate references to Noongar beliefs but did not breach racial discrimination law. This ruling was upheld on appeal by the Federal Court of Australia
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
who joined The West Australian
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
newspaper in 1986.
Dean Alston was born in South Perth, Western Australia
South Perth, Western Australia
South Perth is a residential suburb 3 kilometres south of the central business district of Perth, the capital of Western Australia, which adjoins the southern shore of Perth Water on the Swan River...
in 1950, and grew up in Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, Western Australia
Mount Pleasant is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Melville on the Canning River.Mount Pleasant hosts the Head of the River Rowing event, as part of the Public Schools Association, an elite boys schools association in Perth....
. In 1967 he started a cadetship in cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
with Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
's Lands and Surveys Department. In 1980, he bought into the Carine Glades Tavern, running it until 1984. That year, he married Lisa Prendiville with whom he had a daughter Geraldine (Deanie) in 1985 and a son David in 1988. The couple spent the next eighteen months in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where Alston worked as a bus driver, drew graphics for British Gas
British Gas plc
British Gas plc was formerly the monopoly gas supplier and is a private sector in the United Kingdom.- History :In the early 1900s the gas market in the United Kingdom was mainly run by county councils and small private firms...
, and produced a strip cartoon for a news and travel magazine. After returning to Western Australia in 1985, Alston was employed by The West Australian. He took over as cartoonist the following year. As of December 2005, he has published nearly 10,000 cartoons, and won numerous awards, including a Walkley
Walkley Awards
The annual Walkley Awards, under the administration of the Walkley Foundation for Journalism, are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. Finalists are chosen by an independent board of eminent journalists and photographers. The awards cover all media including...
in 1991.
Alas Poor Yagan
Alas Poor Yagan is an editorial cartoon, drawn by Dean Alston and published in The West Australian newspaper on 6 September 1997. It consists of a panel of eight drawings of Indigenous Australian activist Ken Colbung speaking to a group of three Indigenous Australian children...
, which criticized that fact that the return of Yagan
Yagan
Yagan was an Australian Aboriginal warrior from the Noongar tribe who played a key part in early indigenous Australian resistance to British settlement and rule in the area of Perth, Western Australia. After he led a series of burglaries and robberies across the countryside, in which white...
's head had become a source of conflict among the Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, instead of fostering unity. The cartoon could also be interpreted as casting aspersions on the motives and legitimacy of Indigenous people with mixed racial heritage. The content of the cartoon offended many Aboriginal people, and the elder Robert Bropho
Robert Bropho
Robert Charles Bropho was an Australian Aboriginal rights activist and convicted serial child sex offender from Perth, Western Australia. He was convicted of multiple cases of child sexual abuse...
leveled accusations of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
against The West Australian. Eventually the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation...
ruled that the cartoon made inappropriate references to Noongar beliefs but did not breach racial discrimination law. This ruling was upheld on appeal by the Federal Court of Australia
Federal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
.
External links
- Dean Alston's Alas Poor Yagan cartoon from The West Australian (Saturday 6 September 1997).
