Conversations

Law Professor Ron McCallum was a premature baby in the 1940s. He completed his studies by recording people reading his textbooks aloud onto cassettes. Then an early version of text to speech opened up new possibilities for him. When Ron was born, prospects for blind people to have careers outside sheltered workshops were few. In the late 1970s enormous change swept into Ron’s life. He fell in love...

Aged 17, Chris 'Brolga' Barns was meant to be the 'bird guy' at a new zoo in Broome. A cough in his keeper's house alerted him to a kangaroo joey called Josie, who needed four-hourly feeds and help with the toilet. From then on he was hooked. Brolga knew early on he wanted to make a living working with animals. After meeting Josie he began to rescue other joeys left alive in their mothers' pouches...

The veteran Wiradjuri journalist spent his first year living in the wreck of a Model T Ford on a NSW mission. He has reported from China and North Korea, covered Nelson Mandela’s release, the death of Princess Diana, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and reported from outside Osama bin Laden’s house after he was killed. His father was a hard man and an itinerant sawmiller who taught Stan the lesso...

Sarah and Richard give you a sneak peek behind the scenes of the Conversations Live Tour, Adelaide edition. Legendary sports broadcaster, Bruce McAvaney was one of the special guests who appeared on stage to share some photos close to his heart, and the stories attached to them. Further information To see Bruce's photos for yourself, head to the ABC Conversations Facebook page . https://www.facebo...

Sarah and Richard give you a sneak peek behind the scenes of the Conversations Live Tour, Adelaide edition. London Bombing survivor, Gill Hicks was one of the special guests who appeared on stage to share some photos close to her heart, and the stories attached to them. Further information To see Gill's photos for yourself, head to the ABC Conversations Facebook page . https://www.facebook.com/abc...

Longtime TV casting agent, Kirsty de Vallance was 16 when Police searched the house and arrested her father on serious drugs charges. Throughout her teen years she had to navigate the complexity of having a parent in prison.  The family went into freefall and a short time later Kirsty's mother died. Her two older sisters raised Kirsty and she stayed in touch with her father until his release from...

The co-creator of Absolutely Fabulous says her remarkable career as one of the world's funniest women is all down to a series of happy accidents.  When she and her great pal Dawn French were making their first series, French & Saunders, they were given complete freedom by the BBC, including the freedom to fail. Despite a few mishaps along the way and a battle with breast cancer, Jennifer now s...

When Judy Sharp was told by doctors that her son would never communicate or learn to love, she refused to believe it and set about to secure a brilliant life for her neurodivergent son, Tim. Judy's eldest son, Tim, was diagnosed with autism when he was 3 years old. When Judy was told Tim would never communicate or be able to love she refused to accept those limitations. As a mother, Judy took many...

Sharonne Zaks is not your average dentist. After treating a patient named Anna, Sharonne saw the power relationship with her patients differently. She developed a new branch of dentistry to help care for survivors of sexual assault. Sharonne grew up in a family of dentists, and when she too became a dentist, she developed an empathetic relationship with her patients, never judging them even if the...

In the swinging '60s, Anthony 'Ace' Bourke and John Rendall bought a lion cub from a luxury department store. They eventually released him to his natural habitat in Africa. Footage of their emotional reunion in the wilds of Africa nearly broke the internet, decades later. In 1969, Anthony 'Ace' Bourke and John Rendall bought a lion cub for just under £300 from Harrods Department Store. They named...

Bryan Brown has played more than 80 roles on stage and screen. Raised in working-class Sydney, his talent, hard work, and unmistakable presence have been his ticket to the world. Now in his late 70s, Bryan has had more film and television acting roles than he’s had birthdays, and is an instantly recognisable figure on screens around the world. From Breaker Morant and Newsfront to Two Hands and Swe...

Henrietta Lacks was the first human being that we know of to get close enough to 'immortality' to touch it. She died more than 50 years ago but her cells live on. 'HeLa' cells were the first human cells to be grown for research, and have been vital in medical advances since the 1950s. But what fascinated science major Rebecca Skloot the most about these cells, was how little was known about the wo...

Adventurous spirits take us way out into the world's wild places — stories from across 20 years of Conversations. Travel high in the mountains with Kazakh eagle hunters. Join an endurance horse race across the Mongolian steppe. Feel the edge of darkness, paddling a kayak solo across the Great Australian Bight.  These tales of wild landscapes and creatures, of courage and awe, invite you to share t...

Memories, motivation and life lessons from those at the front of the classroom - stories from across 20 years of Conversations. Teachers share stories from their life’s work. Facing up to challenging students, sitting alongside a young person in turmoil, making lifesaving decisions for an entire school, and the simple joy of seeing knowledge take root.  We celebrate the dedication found in schools...

The secret lives of parents — stories from across 20 years of Conversations. Espionage, Hollywood scandal, a second family, daring wartime missions, and a deadly weapon — revelations unearthed by adult children delving into the lives of parents long gone. Familial mysteries are some of the most spellbinding in our archives, and this collection features life stories from around the globe, revealed...

Our chefs and cooks and the food that made them — stories from across 20 years of Conversations. Unforgettable sensory moments from childhood are behind the devotion of some of Australia’s most well known chefs. From Gary Mehigan’s grandfather’s secret chocolate stash, to the aroma of the traditional Cantonese broth, made by Hetty McKinnon’s mother, wafting from her morning kitchen.  This tasting...

A collection of some of the best moments from actor and writer William McInnes — celebrating 20 years of Conversations. The voice of actor William McInnes is unmistakable, whether in larger than life TV roles; or as himself, telling true stories. A firm favourite of Conversations’ listeners, this episode is a collection of highlights from his many appearances on the program. You’ll enjoy William’s...

At 18 years old, Mick Doleman miraculously survived when his ship capsized in the freezing Southern Ocean off Tasmania. But as he floated in a life raft with his nine crewmates, his ordeal at sea had only just begun.

Writer and journalist Daniel Nour on the pressures of his vivacious Egyptian-Australian family, and 'inviting people in' instead of 'coming out'. Daniel grew up in Sydney's Sutherland Shire, the only son of Egyptian migrants. He dearly loved his parents, who taught him how to stand up to bullies, drove him to Tournament of the Minds competitions, and helped him buy his first car, but he could neve...

Sister Clare Nolan was the head of nursing at St Vincent's Hospital when the HIV/AIDS epidemic reached Australia. She met with politicians, brothel workers and gay activists in the same room to work out how to save the men under her care in Ward 17 South. Clare was 21 years old when she entered the convent, against her mother's wishes, joining the Sisters of Charity novitiate to prepare for life a...

When there's a plane crash, a bomb blast, a flood or a pandemic, Lucy Easthope's phone starts ringing. This is how she stays cheerful and trusts her gut in the face of never-ending disasters. (R) When Lucy was 10 years old, she was at home with her dad watching a Liverpool Football Club match when all hell broke loose. The Hillsborough Disaster, as it came to be known, was a fatal crowd crush that...

Felicia Djamirze grew up in the criminal underworld, then became a beauty queen. But her life outside the pageant circuit was mired in the world of drugs, bikie gangs and violence.(CW: graphic discussion of domestic violence and crime)  Felicia Djamirze is a counsellor, an advocate for women's justice, a three-time Miss Australia winner and in a former life, a convicted drug trafficker. Felicia gr...

Matt Dun left school at 17 to join the Australian navy as a submariner and later finished his high school certificate as an adult attending TAFE at night. He then trained in biomedical science and was researching childhood leukaemia when his family received some devastating news, their little daughter Josie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Matt turned all his energy and expertise into sea...

Singer Lisa Simone is the only person in the world who can call Nina Simone 'mommy'. Lisa was the beneficiary of Nina's incredible talent and her affection, but she was also at the mercy of her mother's erratic moods.  Lisa is the only child of the legendary singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist Nina Simone. As a little girl, Lisa loved trying on her mum’s stage costumes and singing with h...

David Goodwin spent years working the graveyard shift at his local service station in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. The grungy work quickly took over his life (R). He took the job to support his university studies, but working overnight made study impossible and soon the work took over. From his brightly lit perch behind the anti-jump wires, David saw a collection of very strange people come thr...