Conversations
Episodes
Becoming Zenith
14 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Zenith Virago married at 17, and had two children. Then she left her young family to create a life of her own on the other side of the world
The homesickness letters
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up on the biggest council estate in Western Europe, Jeff Green dreamed of a life in Australia. Then he got his own chance to emigrate
How Osher learned to love his mind
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Osher Gunsberg was living in Los Angeles when his mental health took a dramatic turn for the worse
The power of Hope
11 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Louisa Hope was seriously injured in the Sydney siege. From her hospital bed, she began a charity to help her nurses
Singing with strangers and Spooky Men
08 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Choir master Stephen Taberner was raised a Christadelphian, but in his adult life he celebrates the pleasure of music
The girl in the vintage lace
07 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1980s, Lydia Pearson began a wildly successful fashion label with her best friend. In 2016, everything changed
Wake In Fright and walking the dog with Ken
06 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Renowned biographer Jacqueline Kent recalls her volatile year of love with Kenneth Cook
Judith Lucy, and her men
05 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Judith Lucy has been reflecting on what has gone right, and wrong in her relationships with men
The joy of hovercraft
04 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Venn built his first hovercraft in the early 1970s. By 1988 he had a fleet of them on the Brisbane River, and was giving joyrides to 140 000 Wo...
The state of your nation begins in your street
01 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh Mackay on how our neighbourhoods hold the key to the isolation felt by so many (R)
How to catch a wild bull
31 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lach McClymont mustered hundreds of wild cattle, untouched for decades, from a remote area of the Northern Territory
The voice of a child who can’t speak
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Samantha Wheeler’s daughter Charlotte has Rett Syndrome, a rare ‘locked-in’ disorder
Ghostwriting love stories
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Melanie Lewis is the secret hand behind many wedding ceremonies
Naomi Price and the business of show
25 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
From Annie to Sweet Charity, by way of The Voice and Rumour Has It: Naomi on music that's shaped her career so far
Rome in the Balkans
24 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Uncovering the little-known history of the late Roman Empire in Serbia
What makes a body perfect?
23 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How scars and physical differences affect our idea of human beauty
When Sister Margaret found her voice
22 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Margaret Harrod grew up as her father's 'proxy wife'. To escape him, she became a nun, until a chance conversation changed everything
How 'the man in the hat' walked free
21 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Sam Vincent on the lingering questions about Canberra's most notorious murder
Best of 2018: William McInnes
14 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
William’s stories of fatherhood (R)William is one of Australia's best-known storytellers and actors.As his children become adults, he's been reflec...
Best of 2018: Bringing life-saving dialysis to the bush
13 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Brown always wanted to be a remote area nurse. Then she began a medical revolution (R)
Best of 2018: Hunting the deadly coastal taipan
12 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How an elusive copper-coloured snake species terrorised post WWII North Queensland (R)
Best of 2018: Jenny Briscoe-Hough
11 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
After a bruising experience with her own mother's funeral, Jenny Briscoe-Hough set up a d.i.y. funeral home in an old fire station (R)
Best of 2018: Colleen Gwynne
10 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Colleen rescued her mum from a violent marriage. Later, she solved one of Australia's most complicated murder cases (R)
Colin Hay's real life
07 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How the Men at Work front man managed the trip to mega-stardom and back again (R)
More power to the mums
06 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Natalie Millar is at the centre of a 20 000-strong network of mothers in Logan City
The true story of Chow Hayes, Australia's first gangster
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Hoysted tells of the violent standover man and extortionist who was the first local criminal to be described by Australian police as a gangster ...
Life in 248 dimensions
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Mathematician Geordie Williamson spent eight years cracking the code to find the weight of atoms in space
The sufferings of 'Sydney's top ratbag'
03 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Psychiatrist Robert Kaplan on the strange illness which altered the personality of Bea Miles, making her one of her city's most famous eccentrics
What Jack Reacher did next
30 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How a Birmingham boy became best-selling thriller writer, Lee Child
Bruce Dunstan and Georgina Reid
29 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Two botanical conversations: plant-hunter Bruce Dunstan, and great gardens with Georgina Reid
Eric Idle's life on the bright side
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Before and after Monty Python's Flying Circus
Inside the Coroner's Court
27 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A guide to the investigation of sudden or unexplained deaths
Speed skater Steven Bradbury's race to Salt Lake City
26 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Steven Bradbury nearly died on the ice when he was 20. Then he won history's most unexpected gold medal (R)
The foreign correspondent and the fear of flying
23 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa Millar has reported some of the world's biggest stories, including acts of terrorism, political upheaval, and gun massacres
Backing the wild dreams of youth
22 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jan Owen’s work as a champion of young people has its roots in her own story
Mikey Robins' bizarro tour though the history of food and sin
21 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A wander through some of the strange habits, rituals and obsessions people have developed around food and eating
The end of the Milky Way
20 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Astrophysicist Lisa Harvey-Smith on how Andromeda is due to collide with our galaxy in five billion years time
The blood-soaked history of the Münster Anabaptists
19 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Paul Ham explains the short life and terrible death of Christendom's most defiant sect
How Johnathan Thurston became one of the greats
16 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When Johnathan was a boy he was written off as too skinny and too wild for rugby league
Pink diamonds and crocodiles: a Kimberley tale
15 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How Frauke Bolten-Boshammer raised a farm, a family and a diamond empire from the red dirt of Kununurra
With ears wide open: stories from a master field recordist
14 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Watson worked alongside David Attenborough for 20 years, pioneering up-close field recording of birds and animals (R)
David Marr on his perplexing, beloved country
13 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
David began his working life digging ditches, before he found his calling as a writer
An unexpected mid-life love story
12 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Francis was in her 50s when she met Wayne, who became the great love of her life. But their story together didn't turn out as planned (R)
Armistice: The Shattered Village
09 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A century ago the little town of Pozieres was known as the worst place on earth
Armistice: The Underground City
08 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A cave network in France with thousands of signatures, written in pencil by Australian soldiers from the First World War
Armistice: The Good Friends
07 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The story of two men who fought for different sides on the western front, and an unexpected friendship between their descendants
Liz Ellis on infertility, netball and love
06 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
While struggling to conceive her son, Liz faced infertility head on. She found it hard to access reliable information on the subject (R)
#Thisflag and the man behind a movement
05 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Zimbabwean pastor Evan Mawarire inadvertently began a grassroots democracy movement which contributed to the removal of Robert Mugabe
Candy Devine's life on the air
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The girl from a Queensland cane farm who became Candy Devine, Northern Ireland's first black radio star
The Google truth serum
01 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Steph Stephens-Davidowitz says what, how and when we Google is deeply revealing
A boy, his pony and the Sydney Harbour Bridge
31 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Lennie Gwyther was 9 years old when he rode Ginger Mick from country Victoria to Sydney to be at the opening of the Bridge (R)
Helping troubled kids find a way back
30 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Bernie Shakeshaft was a wild teenager who grew up become a jackeroo and a dingo trapper. Then he began helping kids in trouble
Safari suits and Quiche Lorraine
29 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Glover revisits the landscape of his Australian childhood, when parenting was lackadaisical, and avocados were a rarity
Anne Summers on taking centre stage
26 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Anne has worked in the midst of power on both sides of the Pacific, as a prominent journalist, policy advisor and magazine editor
North Korea from the inside
25 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Veteran reporter Jean Lee did the seemingly impossible from within Pyongyang
Blade runner Dave Henson: after the blast
24 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
After losing both legs to an IED, veteran and Paralympian Dave Henson is applying his unique insight to developing advanced prosthetics
Inside the mind of a bomber
23 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Bruno Guevremont was working in a bomb disposal team in Afghanistan when he was called to dismantle the vest of a live suicide bomber
Dr Munjed Al Muderis restores mobility with robotic limbs
22 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How a doctor's brave escape led him to Australia, and extraordinary medical advancements for amputees (R)
The other Tuscany
19 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 1957, Moreno Giovannoni's family left Tuscany for Australia. Twelve years later they returned to San Ginese, but struggled to make it their home
Artist Ben Quilty on Syria's children, and witnessing war
18 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Exploring the drawings of children who've survived Syria's conflict. Australian artist Ben Quilty has made several visits with World Vision to camps ...
The pavlova in the suitcase
17 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle Garnaut created one of the world's most famous restaurants in Shanghai
How Lawrence Levy turned Pixar's fortunes around
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Pixar was $50M in the red when Lawrence was hired (R)
David Astle's brain on puzzles
15 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
David's is the first mind in the world to be tested on an MRI machine while solving cryptic clues
How a department store family's fortune was lost
12 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Melissa Fagan reveals the scandals entwined in the McWhirters department store story
Raising boys with love
11 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Maggie Dent’s ideas on growing up good men stem from her professional work, and having brought up four sons
The Antarctic voyage which helped end a decade of silence
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Robyn Mundy has adventured in some of the world's wildest places (R)
The making of Mike Carlton
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
While reflecting on his life's work, Mike uncovered his parents' controversial love affair
The day that shook the Olympic movement
08 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Norman's late uncle Peter won a silver medal at the 1968 Olympics, but he was notoriously cast out of Australian sport
How Brolga Barns became a 'kangaroo mum'
05 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Saving the orphaned kangaroo joeys of Central Australia
Taking desert art to the world
04 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cecilia Alfonso learned how to sell art when she was a child, and now brings millions of dollars a year to the Central Australian town of Yuendumu
Bringing life-saving dialysis to the bush
03 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Brown always wanted to be a remote area nurse. Then she began a medical revolution
Love and family and Asperger's: Tony Attwood
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tony works with couples in which one partner has Asperger's, helping them navigate relationships and parenting (R)
Leigh Sales: the day after the worst possible day
01 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 2014, Leigh went through an event which changed her profoundly. She was left questioning how we cope when the unimaginable happens
Brylcreem, beehives, and Devils on Horseback: how the 1960s changed Australia
28 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Noeline Brown went from librarian to household name during the 60s, and here remembers some of the era's most distinct pop culture and political mome...
Rachael Maza's tale of three islands
27 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Palm Island, Mer Island, and Australia are the cornerstones of this hard-working actor and director's story
Toad vs toad: outwitting the cane toad with ingenious biology
26 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rick Shine used one toad to defeat another, by a process of evolutionary conditioning, to save the snakes he was studying in Northern Australia
Inside The Family, the bizarre and brutal Australian cult
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rosie Jones and Chris Johnston have unearthed the origins of the bizarre Australian cult known as The Family (R)
Laura Tingle on leadership, and political self-indulgence
24 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Laura Tingle asks if it's time to update our idea of what makes a great leader
Kristina Olsson spent years untangling the story of the brother she'd never known
21 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Kristina Olsson's brother Peter was stolen from their mother's arms as a baby (R)
Tim Minchin makes his own luck
20 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Minchin's bruising Hollywood experiences have helped bring him a new perspective on comedy
Gwynne Dyer on the future of the world
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Military historian Gwynne Dyer is surprisingly upbeat about the future of humanity
Murgon's shining star
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Leah Purcell was working in a small-town meatworks during her school holidays, when she discovered she had a rare talent
The bond between two alpine climbers which nearly killed them
17 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Simon McCartney was a young mountaineer when he met a fellow climber who altered his life
Beatrix Campbell has stayed fierce and funny about class in Britain
14 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Political commentator Bea Campbell grew up communist in northern England
Ordinary on the inside
13 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Wil Patterson was a suburban dad who wanted all the good things in life for his family. Then he made a decision which upended everything
Discovering a father's secret life in France
12 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up, Louisa Deasey knew very little about her late father's life. Then she found a bundle of his lost love letters
Wendell Rosevear treats victims and perpetrators of sexual violence
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Wendell Rosevear's upbringing gave him an unexpected sense of mission
The man behind the Bee Gees
10 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Dando Collins with the story of Robert Stigwood, the boy from Port Pirie who went on to become the entertainment industry's most powerful tyc...
Father Rod bucks the system
07 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How an ex-butcher in the midst of a career crisis began a social movement
Guerrilla film-making in Afghanistan
06 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When the Pakistani Secret Service denied Benjamin Gilmour permission to make a feature film he crossed the border to Afghanistan
The life changing power of honeybees
05 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When Helen Jukes was given a colony of bees it helped release her from the numbing grind of her working life
The science of the Dreamtime
04 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Nunn on the real life stories of volcanic eruptions, meteor crashes and encounters with megafauna, recorded long before written language
The Australian veteran who revolutionised mental health treatment
03 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Greg de Moore tells the forgotten story of psychiatrist Dr John Cade
The great dogs of Australian history
31 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The 'dog whisperer' Guy Hull on the dogs that made Australia, from life-saving Kangaroo dogs to plane flying Alsatians
Inside the ad agency which changed Australia
30 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
John Bevins helped change Australians' minds about smoking and drink driving
The incredible tale of where we come from
29 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Fiona Katauskas wrote a funny, charming book for children about the facts of life. Then she discovered the book had a life of its own
Growing up in old Broome
28 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Anne Poelina, the daughter of a Timorese pearl diver and an Indigenous mother, has always been drawn back to her home town of Broome
Falling in love with Jimmy Pike
27 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Lowe was working as a prison psychologist in Broome when she met the artist Jimmy Pike, who was serving a life sentence
The art of being truthful with Artist Davida Allen
24 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Artist Davida Allen's true feelings about some of the trials of parenthood, bushwalking, and a raging attraction to actor Sam Neill have poured out t...
Irish novelist Marian Keyes
23 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Now a wildly popular author, for many years Marian doubted her ability to write (R)