Australian History: Brilliant stories from Australia's past.
When the Japanese entered the Second World War at the end of 1941, the impact on Australia was almost immediate. Singapore fell and a great many Australians were taken prisoner. Darwin & later other northern centres were bombed, and at the end of May Japanese midget Submarines made their way...
In this final episode of the series we follow Flinders as he attempts his return to England in the hope of acquiring a better ship to more thoroughly complete his valuable explorations around the newly circumnavigated Australian coast. But on the way the Great Barrier Reef gives him one last...
After a quick resupply in Port Jackson Flinders again heads out to undertake the second leg of his circumnavigation. This time they began by traveling north, through the Great Barrier Reef and into the tropical north. This journey would prove to be much more challenging for Flinders and his crew....
This episode we see Bass undertake his speculative business ventures, no longer in the company of Flinders, but his timing meant his returns were not as lucrative as he’d hoped. Flinders set off on the mammoth task of circumnavigating the New Holland-New South Wales. This first leg of his mission...
George Bass and Matthew Flinders undertake an important mapping journey to confirm the existence of what will soon afterwards become known as Bass Strait, a body of water between the mainland of ‘New South Wales’ and the newly recognized island of Van Diemens Land. But afterwards their future aspirations diverge,...
Waltzing Matilda is described as ‘the people’s song’. More well known than the actual Australian National Anthem around the world, Banjo Paterson’s jaunty little ditty actually contains clues to some turbulent times he witnessed in Australian history. This episode shares a little background about the much loved song. (40mins) Enjoying...
In the 1950s Australia hosted a number of British nuclear weapons tests. The very first one took place on the Montebello Islands, off Australia’s north west coast. This episode we will explore ‘Operation Hurricane’ on the Montebellos. (75 mins) Enjoying the podcast? Help support the show with a one-off donation...
Maria Island is a UNESCO World Heritage listed Tasmanian convict site, with a long and varied history, and a number of spectacular natural and geological places of interest. From its original indigenous use, soon after aboriginal people made their way to Tasmania, around 30,000 years ago, through it’s early colonial...
From a land with no native domesticated dogs, nearly 230 years after colonists’ brought their first pets & hunting dogs on the first fleet, Australia now has one of the highest rates of dog ownership in the world. Almost half of Australian households kept at least one dog in 2022,...
Presbyterian Minister John Flynn had a desire to bring “a mantle of safety” to those living in the remote areas of Australia. WWI Australian fighter pilot John Clifford Peel suggested a blueprint for such a service. Alf Traeger tested and designed equipment that would allow communication across the outback and...