Tiger on the Rocks (ATOM Study Guide)

Australia has the worst rate of mammal extinctions on earth. The ‘Tassie tiger’ is Australia’s most famous lost species. Like the passenger pigeon, the dodo and the great auk before it, it inspires compassion for endangered species around the world. Many people know something about thylacines and their tragic fate in Tasmania. Tiger on the Rocks takes audiences on a journey around Australia, raising questions about the thylacine’s twenty-five million year past, when it lived across the continent. It shows how Australia’s largest surviving marsupial predator co-existed with Australia’s First Peoples for many thousands of years. Unlike other ‘Tassie tiger’ documentaries, this one isn’t searching for a missing species, it’s searching for its ancient story.

This is the first documentary to tell the thylacine’s story from the perspective of First Nations Peoples, as well as scientists and archaeologists. Its story resonates with issues facing environmentalists and Indigenous groups today.

Curriculum Links:

The story of the thylacine explored in this film relates to a range of subject areas:

• Environmental Science
• Indigenous History and Artwork
• Australian History and Geography
• Visual Arts