The Battle of Fire Support Base Coral (1968) Oral History and Documentary Project

Audio/visual recording


Jones, Leonie E. and Sparkes, Daryl. 2006. The Battle of Fire Support Base Coral (1968) Oral History and Documentary Project. Toowoomba, Australia.
Title of Work

The Battle of Fire Support Base Coral (1968) Oral History and Documentary Project

Type of WorkAudio/visual recording
Creator/ContributorJones, Leonie E. (Director) and Sparkes, Daryl (Producer (Film))
Year2006
Place of PublicationToowoomba, Australia
Description of Work

The Battle of Fire Support Base Coral, May 1968, Vietnam was the biggest and bloodiest fought by Australians in Vietnam. More 'diggers' were killed and wounded during this battle than at any other time during Australia’s ten year involvement in the Vietnam War. It was a major political and strategic victory for the Australian Task Force in South Vietnam and the Australian Government, yet this battle has largely remained hidden from Australian history; few veteran narratives have been recorded and forty years after the event the public are still unaware of the battle or its significance. As a result, the veteran’s feel isolated, anonymous and disillusioned especially toward the public acknowledgement of the Battle of Long Tan which, because of its public commemorative practices arguably defines the Australian national narrative of the Vietnam War.

The aim of this research is to study war memory and commemoration as an integral component in re-representing the national narrative of the Vietnam War. To this extent, this research examines how one particular community of veterans remembers and commemorates the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral 1968 while renegotiating the Australian Vietnam War narrative in the lead-up to the 40th anniversary remembrance week, 2008. This research questions that re-presenting public memory constructed during the commemorative phase has provided veterans with a powerful, particular, vernacular for negotiating the grief and the trials of this community. Further, in order to help Coral veterans find a voice, this research aims to collect and preserve audio-visual oral history and artifacts in an accessible emergent digital repository as well as publicly commemorate the battle through the production of a one hour television documentary.

ANZSRC Field of Research 2020360505. Screen media
Public Notes

The documentary is commercially sensitive at this time and is currently being re-cut for major commercial release. Therefore, the documentary is not available for web streaming but can be accessed upon request to University of Southern Queensland.

The documentary is on DVD and is sold at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Byline AffiliationsSchool of Creative Arts
School of Arts and Communication
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
EventThe Battle of Fire Support Base Coral (1968) - public screening
Event Details
The Battle of Fire Support Base Coral (1968) - public screening
Event Date
26 Aug 2006
Event Location
Toowoomba, Australia
Event Venue
University of Southern Queensland
Permalink -

https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q1772/the-battle-of-fire-support-base-coral-1968-oral-history-and-documentary-project

Download files


Other Documentation
FSCB_DVDCover_CARR132.jpg
File access level: Anyone

Coral_Invite.pdf
File access level: Anyone

  • 2267
    total views
  • 638
    total downloads
  • 4
    views this month
  • 4
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

"The Troxler Effect" Documentary
Sparkes, Daryl. 2023. "The Troxler Effect" Documentary . Australia.
I made a Film with a 100 Year old Camera
Sparkes, Daryl. 2023. "I made a Film with a 100 Year old Camera." Australian Teachers of Media National Conference 2023. Gold Coast, Australia 07 - 09 Jul 2023 Australia.
Old Guard meets the Avant-Garde: What 200 years of technology in one experimental film tells us about the next 200 years
Sparkes, Daryl. 2023. "Old Guard meets the Avant-Garde: What 200 years of technology in one experimental film tells us about the next 200 years." Mason, A. (ed.) 13th Australian Media Traditions Conference 2023. Toowoomba, Australia 20 - 21 Sep 2023 Australia.
The Troxler Effect
Sparkes, Daryl. 2023. The Troxler Effect. Australia.
'Journey to the Stone Country' Film Bible
Sparkes, Daryl, Boughen, Michael, Thompson, Katherine, Ambience Entertainment Pty Ltd, OmniLab Pty Ltd and Mianjin Entertainment Pty Ltd. 2022. 'Journey to the Stone Country' Film Bible. Sydney, Australia.
Bring out the popcorn: the best films set to roar into cinemas in the second half of 2021
Sparkes, Daryl. 2021. "Bring out the popcorn: the best films set to roar into cinemas in the second half of 2021." The Conversation. 1 June 2021, p. 1.
My favourite detective: Sam Spade, as hard as nails and the smartest guy in the room
Sparkes, Daryl. 2020. "My favourite detective: Sam Spade, as hard as nails and the smartest guy in the room." The Conversation. 24 November 2020, p. 1.
30 years since The Addams Family hit the big screen, it is still the perfect blend of horror and comedy
Sparkes, Daryl. 2021. "30 years since The Addams Family hit the big screen, it is still the perfect blend of horror and comedy." The Conversation. 16 December 2021, p. 1.
Back to the Rafters review: series reboot is full of heart and reflects changing times
Sparkes, Daryl. 2021. "Back to the Rafters review: series reboot is full of heart and reflects changing times." The Conversation. 17 September 2021, p. 1.
Think of it this way: at least you’re not locked down with drunken, misanthropic bookshop owner Bernard Black
Sparkes, Daryl. 2021. "Think of it this way: at least you’re not locked down with drunken, misanthropic bookshop owner Bernard Black." The Conversation. 27 August 2021, p. 1.
Marvel’s Black Widow has been handed to a small independent Aussie director. And she’s the perfect fit
Sparkes, Daryl. 2021. "Marvel’s Black Widow has been handed to a small independent Aussie director. And she’s the perfect fit." The Conversation. 7 July 2021, p. 1.
Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet at 25: is this the best Shakespeare screen adaptation?
Sparkes, Daryl. 2021. "Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet at 25: is this the best Shakespeare screen adaptation?" The Conversation. 11 February 2021, p. 1.
Home Alone at 30: how one case of parental neglect led to (hilariously) painful outcomes
Sparkes, Daryl. 2020. "Home Alone at 30: how one case of parental neglect led to (hilariously) painful outcomes." The Conversation. 2 December 2020, p. 1.
Schitt’s Creek: the TV show has been showered with Emmys but is it worth the hype?
Sparkes, Daryl. 2020. "Schitt’s Creek: the TV show has been showered with Emmys but is it worth the hype?" The Conversation. 23 September 2020, p. 1.
Reframing Creative Practice for Telling Factual Stories of War and Trauma Through Oral History Interactive Documentary (OHID)
Jones, Leonie. 2022. "Reframing Creative Practice for Telling Factual Stories of War and Trauma Through Oral History Interactive Documentary (OHID)." Ryan, Kathleen M. and Staton, David (ed.) Interactive Documentary: Decolonizing Practice-Based Research. United States. Routledge. pp. 85-97
10 years on, Inception remains Christopher Nolan’s most complex and intellectual film
Sparkes, Daryl. 2020. "10 years on, Inception remains Christopher Nolan’s most complex and intellectual film." The Conversation. 20 August 2020, pp. 1-4.
That’ll do, pig, that’ll do: Babe at 25, a trailblazing cinematic classic
Sparkes, Daryl. 2020. "That’ll do, pig, that’ll do: Babe at 25, a trailblazing cinematic classic." The Conversation. 4 August 2020, pp. 1-3.
Neverending stories - why we still love Unsolved Mysteries
Sparkes, Daryl. 2020. "Neverending stories - why we still love Unsolved Mysteries." The Conversation. 30 June 2020, pp. 1-5.
The new Seachange is a sad case of Zombie TV: when your favourite programs come back from the dead
Sparkes, Daryl. 2019. "The new Seachange is a sad case of Zombie TV: when your favourite programs come back from the dead." The Conversation. 9 September 2019, pp. 1-3.
Busted exhibition - A USQ, St Vincent's Private Hospital and St Andrew's Private Hospital breast cancer exhibition and documentary project
Batorowicz, Beata, Hunter, Cassandra, Coleman, Ellie, Clark, Linda, Romeyn, Taylor, Wagner, Katie, Lomulder, Helena, Graham, Louise, St Vincents Hospital, St Andrews Hospital, Jones, L. and Jones, Leonie. 2015. Busted exhibition - A USQ, St Vincent's Private Hospital and St Andrew's Private Hospital breast cancer exhibition and documentary project. Toowoomba, Australia 30 Sep - 30 Oct 2015
Nigger Lovers
Sparkes, Daryl J., Hagan, Rhonda, Hagan, Stephen and Sparkes, Daryl J.. 2009. Nigger Lovers. Toowoomba, Australia.
Urban Trackers
Sparkes, Daryl. 2010. Urban Trackers. Brisbane, Australia.
Give 'em the Finger: the Powderfinger Project
Sparkes, Daryl. 2009. Give 'em the Finger: the Powderfinger Project. Brisbane, Australia.
The Cowboy Statesman
Sparkes, Daryl. 2010. The Cowboy Statesman. Brisbane, Australia.
An exorcist calls
Sparkes, Daryl and Screen Queensland. 2013. An exorcist calls. Springfield, Queensland.
Magnate (television script)
Sparkes, Daryl J., Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Screen Queensland. 2013. Magnate (television script). Springfield, Queensland.
The Battle of Milne Bay (1942): oral history and documentary project
Jones, Leonie E.. 2005. The Battle of Milne Bay (1942): oral history and documentary project. Toowoomba, Australia.