The Colleano Heart

Written by Zoe MacPherson, RAHS Volunteer

The Colleano Heart is a new documentary that tells the story of Con Colleano and his world-famous family of travelling circus performers. Zoe McPherson reviewed the documentary for the RAHS.

The Colleano Heart is a revelatory documentary on SBS/NITV that tells the story of the Colleano family and their international rise to fame as a circus act in the early twentieth century. The film follows the journey of their descendants as they retrace their family’s history as an Aboriginal family striving to survive and adapt within systems designed to marginalise them. We are also introduced to a lesser-known aspect of Aboriginal history from this period: a thriving family marked by agency, success, opportunity, and control over their lives.

The documentary is significant for its powerful storytelling and unique perspective. By presenting important Aboriginal and Australian history through diverse sources and centring the focus on Indigenous voices, it challenges dominant national narratives. The film is also noteworthy for its ability to engage audiences through themes of family, culture, persistence, and legacy. In doing so, it deepens viewers’ understanding of confronting and often silenced aspects of Australia’s past, positioning it as a reliable and informative source for Indigenous Australian research.

The Colleano Heart is a remarkable documentary for the power it restores to Indigenous Australians and for its ability to reconnect fragmented elements of Australian history, linking the past to contemporary audiences.

Watch The Colleano Heart on SBS On Demand.