The caving time lord
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Kira Westaway is a geochronologist who places modern and ancient humans in context by dating thi...
The lucky accident of Sydney's Opera House
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Pitt on how the luminous shells of the Sydney Opera House nearly didn't get off the drawing b...
Lovemore's left hook
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A chance encounter led Lovemore Ndou into his local boxing gym, and a lucky left hook became his ti...
Silverchair's drummer grows up
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Gillies was a 15 year old drummer when Silverchair became a global sensation. After almost two ...
The psychopaths among us
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lawyer and author David Gillespie has been on a mission to understanding psychopaths after realisin...
The chef who changed the world: Josh Niland
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Niland on his mission to cook fish eyes, fish liver, and fish sperm to help revolutionise how...
David Marr's reckoning with his family's brutal past
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
David Marr with the story of his great-great-grandfather Reg Uhr, who led murderous expeditions wi...
Ancestors like aliens: clues from the Cambrian explosion
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Diego Garcia-Bellido is a palaeontologist who specialises in soft-bodied fossils from hundreds of m...
Robyn Davidson, wandering spirit
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Robyn Davidson on her adventures high in the Himalayas, her love affair with an Indian prince, and ...
Jessica Cottis — inside the colour of sound
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica is an orchestral conductor, organ virtuoso and also a synesthete who 'sees' colour in her m...
Silk, sex, secrets and spiders
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
James O'Hanlon digs deep into the secret world of spiders; complex and tiny lives most of us are e...
From Antioch to Syracuse and Tyre
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Katherine Pangonis with stories from five cities of the ancient world, from their splendo...
Confessions of a drama kid
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Actor and writer Brendan Cowell with tender and funny tales from his boyhood as a child actor and a...
Suzie Miller: finder of ways
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Suzie Miller with stories from her free range St Kilda childhood, her drama-filled life as a lawye...
Meaghan's connections to family, town and country
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meaghan Katrak Harris with stories from her life as a teenage mother and raising a multicultural f...
Xanthe Mallett on skeletons, forensics, crime and body farms
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Forensic scientist Dr Xanthe Mallett on her work analysing skeletal remains, investigating cases of...
Seeing the world through a dog's eyes
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dog behaviourist Laura Vissaritis uses science and psychology to better understand what our dogs re...
Dynasties and dynamism
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nicholas Jose was living in China in 1989, when the military was sent in to violently quell pro-de...
Sam Neill's menagerie
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Neill is a winemaker, a cancer survivor and a father. He's also an actor, who's made more than ...
Smuggled to Antarctica
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rachael Mead with the true story of Nel Law, who stowed away on a Danish ship in 1961 to become the...
The echidna argument
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Strategic analyst Sam Roggeveen says Australia needs to think more like an echidna when it comes to...
Living to 120 and beyond
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr David Sinclair is a longevity expert who believes ageing is a treatable disease (R)
What happens to us while we're under anaesthesia?
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Cole-Adams has discovered what happens to us while we dwell in the chemical oblivion of genera...
Chadden's planet Earth
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chadden Hunter was in his twenties when he found himself sitting around a campfire in the Ethiopian...
Bronwyn's books
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Bronwyn Sheehan's daughter befriended a little girl in year four, her eyes were opened up to ...
George Megalogenis on the stats that tell the Australian story
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the 1944 wartime referendum, to the 1999 vote on whether to become a republic, referenda alway...
Peter's long goodbye
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Broadcaster Peter Goers was in his twenties when his parents died suddenly, in a plane crash outsid...
Stories of starting over: Susan Johnson
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Susan Johnson began an unexpected adventure when she moved to the Greek island of Kythera wi...
Stories of starting over: Kim Crotty
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Kim Crotty was locked up in Dartmoor prison for growing marijuana, his two young sons were b...
Stories of starting over: Anne Howell
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a serious brain operation, Anne Howell woke up in hospital with retrograde amnesia, thinking ...
Stories of starting over: Charles Lomu
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Tongan-Australian man on being privileged to see love in action in his grandparents, how a spir...
Stories of starting over: DJ Hookie
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Nash was 19 when his limbs were amputated due to meningococcal septicaemia. After he began to ...
Maggie Mackellar on farming, motherhood, and catching sheep
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Maggie Mackellar with stories from her life on a Merino wool farm on the east coast of Tasmania, an...
The Big Pineapple, The Big Merino, The Big Gumboot: how big things captured Australia
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Amy Clarke on the history of Big Things and our enduring fondness for kitsch and curious creatio...
Crispian Chan on Perth's forgotten terror
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Crispian Chan grew up in the shadow of a campaign of terror in Perth that engulfed his family resta...
Geraldine Brooks and the world in words
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The historical novelist has seen enough action to last a lifetime from her days as a Middle East co...
Craig Hamilton's three lives
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coalminer turned broadcaster Craig Hamilton was in his 30s when he had a psychotic episode on Broa...
Lessons from the world's longest study on happiness: Dr Robert Waldinger
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Robert Waldinger on what it takes to live a happy life. Robert Waldinger has spent most of his w...
Bertie Blackman's bohemian childhood
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bertie Blackman on her unconventional childhood with her father the artist Charles Blackman
How Julie became Matilda #1
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1979, Julie Dolan was named as the inaugural captain of the Matildas. Ever since, she's helped ...
Kim and the Constitution
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Rubenstein on the inner workings and history of the Australian constitution
John Gaden's golden run
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Gaden on turning his back on law and landing on the stage
Remembering Michael Parkinson
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Broadcaster Michael Parkinson with the life story of his late father John William - Yorkshireman, m...
Maddy, the shipwreck mermaid
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Maddy McAllister's job as a marine archaeologist involves diving into the deep to uncover the ar...
The invisible Mrs Orwell
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Funder on unearthing the story of the talented and determined Eileen O'Shaughnessy, George O...
From the meatworks to mending men's souls
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After arriving in Australia from Yugoslavia as a boy, Peter Stojanovic began working at a Melbourne...
Jana Pittman's turning point
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jana Pittman became one of Australia's most famous athletes as a young woman. Then at age 30, she ...
David the Seahorse saviour
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
David Harasti with the story of how he opened a chain of underwater seahorse hotels to save an end...
A Heart in Two Places
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Donnelley on her life working at Wilcannia Central School, on Barkandji Country 950 kilometr...
Dr Freakman, hippie psychiatrist
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Psychiatrist Dr Harry Freeman on the memorable patients, LSD, and medical epiphanies from his 50 ye...
The sculptor's son
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hung Le and his family made a terrifying escape from Saigon in 1975, carrying one suitcase, a box...
How Brendan Watkins claimed his birthright
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brendan Watkins on his search to find the truth about his birth parents and the failings of the Cat...
Mark Brandi on compassion, chance and reinvention
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Author Mark Brandi is a keen observer of people, a skill he honed growing up in a pub in country V...
Danny Estrin's Eurovision glory
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Voyager frontman Danny Estrin on his unconventional path from heavy metal to law and the Eurovision...
Oliver Twist, the storyteller
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rwandan-born comedian and playwright Oliver Twist on his years as a refugee and how his life a...
The leadership and gentleness of Alex Blackwell
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The former captain of the Australian Women's cricket team shares what she's learned along the way, ...
On the trail of the mega-shark
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Tim Flannery was a boy he found a palm-sized fossilised tooth of a prehistoric shark.The find...
Toby Walsh: the power and perils of Chat GPT
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Toby Walsh on the rise of generative AI chatbots and their potential to overtake human in...
John's wild dogs
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They have strange coats that look like they're painted on, and while their big Mickey Mouse ears ar...
Martin Flanagan on exchanging shame for grace
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1966, Martin was 10 years old when he was sent to a Catholic Boarding school in North-West Tasm...
Healing the grieving heart
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wendy Liu has spent many years right up close to death. As a forensic counsellor she worked with fa...
Maggie Beer: from Bankstown to the Barossa
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Maggie Beer started her working life at the age of 14 in a chenille bedspread factory. Two decades ...
How Ben's brain changed
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An unexpected stroke temporarily robbed Ben Mckelvey of his ability to speak, write and understand ...
The army town, the lodger, and a succulent Chinese meal
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Mark Dapin’s childhood was disrupted at the age of 10, when his mum fell in love with the ...
Anna McGahan and God
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anna McGahan was playing a sex worker on Australia's biggest television show when she found God, r...
The story of the human voice
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Colapinto was singing a Beatles song in front of Bette Midler when he injured his vocal cords...
The wild boy who became a parenting expert
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Mark Dadds has helped hundreds of troubled kids from his clinic at the University of Sydn...
From Boudicca to the Night Witches: a history of women at war
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Percy with a new history of the world's frontline women soldiers
Marcia Hines the American Queen of Australian Pop
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcia Hines arrived in Australia just 16 years old, and unknowingly pregnant. She planned to stay...
The Bookbinder's Luck
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dominic Riley on how a a chance encounter with a bookbinding monk named Brother Bede changed the c...
The power and determination of Nas Campanella
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nas Campanella grew up in a big Italian-Australian family, and she was six months old when she los...
Frank’s years of living dangerously
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Frank Palmos arrived in Indonesia as a green journalist looking to make his mark. He walked straigh...
Jessica's life in two worlds
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica Kirkness on her luminous childhood with her grandparents Melvyn and Phyllis, who were both ...
Stories from Gudanji Country
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Debra Dank walks and talks differently when she's at home on Gudanji country, because she comes wi...
The tin hut that's still standing
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr John Paterson grew up in a tin hut in rural Darwin. He helped hold it down during Cyclone Tracy ...
Nova Peris shines bright
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nova is a woman of many firsts — an Olympic gold medallist and Northern Territory Senator. She c...
Leanne's passion for justice
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leanne Liddle was just 18 years old when she became a policewoman, but after a brutal attack during...
Jimmy Little's daughter tells her dad's story
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Frances Peters-Little speaks about writing the story of her dad Jimmy's extraordinary career in mus...
Mama Piku
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For more than a decade now, Yolarnie Amepou has been navigating tribal conflicts along the Kikori ...
Sorcery and salvation in Papua New Guinea
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ruth Kissam was absent-mindedly perusing a noticeboard at a hospital in Papua New Guinea when she ...
The mythical legends of Dravuni Island
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Kaliopate Tavola retired from Fijian politics, he turned his attention to recording the fantas...
The whistling frogs of Fiji's forests
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nunia Thomas-Moko grew up afraid of the reptilian creatures that lurked in Fiji's stunning forests....
Meet the Queen of Vude
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Laisa Vulakoro was six years old she learnt the English words "famous" and "star". She would...
Michael Trant on writing a farmer’s way
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Author Michael Trant combines his love of the land with his passion for storytelling — writing hi...
The broken-hearted cure
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a devastating divorce, Charlotte Ree began cooking her way out of heartbreak
Sarah Davis: Paddling the Nile and beyond
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Davis on her journey from corporate risk management to the paddle-powered adventures in shark...
Fergus, prison visitor
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fergus Hynes found his true calling in retirement: listening to prisoners and helping them with th...
Doctor Sonia, Outback GP
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Sonia Henry signed up to work as a GP in a remote mining town in the Pilbara, the experience c...
Shirley's secret and a silver angel: the story of Heather Mitchell
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Heather Mitchell on the family secrets and the fortune teller's prophecy which shaped her li...
An unexpected life in Murderball
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cameron Carr was a rising star in Rugby League when a shocking accident changed everything. A few...
Finding a dad, zoology and a life-threatening illness
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Bravery tells the story of his childhood in Logan, Queensland, how he went from a career at KFC...
A Fat Girl Dancing: Kris Kneen
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How Kris Kneen learned to look unblinkingly at their fat body, and find a new courage to be in the...
Muzafar Ali: from Afghanistan to Adelaide
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Muzafar Ali is a football-loving photographer from Afghanistan, now living in Australia. When he d...
Life as a prison philosopher
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andy West on how his family story led him a life teaching philosophy inside some of Britain's tough...
Charmian, the violin and the zipper man
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australian violinist Charmian Gadd was a wild musical prodigy from the Central Coast when a zipper-...
William Sitwell: a history of the restaurant
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Food critic William Sitwell with stories of eating out in history, from the wine taverns of ancie...
Sean Fong dominating life on the jiu-jitsu mat
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sean Fong is a para world champion in jiu-jitsu. The 'gentle' martial art has allowed Sean to sha...
Asma Khan and the Darjeeling Express
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chef Asma Khan uses cooking to connect with her family. After moving from Kolkata to England, she...
Mandy Nolan: embracing the 'weird freaky girl'
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mandy Nolan didn't fit in as a child, in the country town where she grew up. But later in life, he...
How Deb Wallace became the gangbuster
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Former Detective Deb Wallace with stories from her working life in the NSW Police, where she was ta...