Fierce Girls

From the underwater adventurers of the past, to the disease experts of the future, Australia is FULL of girls who dare to do things differently. Fierce Girls is back for another season, starting International Women's Day. All new stories, all new narrators. Still totally Fierce.

Nora Heysen wasn’t the only talented artist in the family. As a young woman, her painting was extraordinary, but she could never get out from the shadow of her dad. She took her talents to London to carve her own identity, but male teachers and critics told her that her work wasn’t very good.

As a child, Mirka Mora narrowly escaped being sent to a death camp just for being Jewish. The faces of the people she left behind would haunt her forever.

Yukultji Napangati grew up with no contact with the outside world. Just her and her family, living on a shimmery salt lake. She learned how to live on Country, how to find food, water, and shelter. She was a particularly great hunter.

Marion Mahony Griffin grew up in the best kind of playground – nature. Her home was a log cabin in the woods, where she was able to run wild, climb trees, and spend time entertaining guests.

Queenie McKenzie grew up on a cattle station, staying away from the grasps of the authorities, who would take Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids like her from their families at will.

Can you name a famous Australian artist? This season of Fierce Girls, we’re brushing up on some fierce women of the art world! So this International Day Of The Girl Child, October 11, you’ll hear the stories of five extraordinary Australian artists.

Jean Robertson learnt to drive almost as soon as her feet could touch the pedals — and then she taught her bestie Kathleen Howell to do the same. The two friends mastered automobiles at a time that you weren't likely to see a woman behind the wheel. Once they'd nailed that, they crossed the whole of Australia by car and smashed land speed records. Narrated by actor and Australian Survivor winner,...

This year marks 100 years since the first woman was elected in parliament in Australia. To celebrate, we're bringing back some of our favourite Fierce Girls episodes, celebrating trailblazing female politicians. At school Julia Gillard's least favourite subject was Home Economics. The teachers told her she'd need it one day, but Julia wasn't so sure. She had her mind firmly set on a career. First,...

This year marks 100 years since the first woman was elected in parliament in Australia. To celebrate, we're bringing back some of our favourite Fierce Girls episodes, celebrating trailblazing female politicians. When Edith Cowan was a girl, her mum died, and her father was sentenced to death for murder. She knew hardship … and it drove her to get a better deal for women and children who were then...

Andrea Boyd grew up loving the science fiction series Star Trek. And when she wasn't at school, conducting science experiments or staring at the TV, she was staring at the sky. But when the world's best engineers built the International Space Station, Andrea realised science fact was better than science fiction. She worked hard to become their only Aussie flight controller, talking to the astronau...

Caroline Buchanan rode in her first big international BMX race when she was nine, waving to the crowd, soaring down hills, gliding through the air. It was a feeling too good to give up. Even when her brother broke his neck and two arms. Even when she missed out on medals at the London and Rio Olympics. And even when she ended up in hospital, all of it was worth it. Caroline Buchanan endured to bec...

Faith Thomas grew up throwing rocks at galahs. She'd only been playing proper cricket for a couple of weeks before she was picked to represent South Australia. Her phenomenal stats made headlines. So, it was no great surprise when Faith got called up to represent Australia against England in Brisbane. When she stepped onto the Gabba cricket ground, she became the first Aboriginal person to play on...

Nyadol Nyuon's family is from South Sudan, but she was born in a refugee camp. Every night she prayed that her family could move to Australia. And, when she was 18, her prayers were answered. In Australia, Nyadol wanted to be a lawyer, but her teachers didn't think she had the ability. Nyadol had some surprises in store for those doubters. She did become a lawyer and, when the media unfairly targe...

When Madeline Stuart was 17, her mum took her to a fashion parade where most of the models seemed to fit a tall, thin, predictable box. Maddy was born with Down Syndrome, a condition that means she has an extra chromosome. And while she didn't look like the models she saw in magazines, fashionistas thought Maddy was beautiful. They invited her onto the catwalks of New York, London, Paris — every c...

Even as a young girl, Celeste Barber always had a funny story that would make everyone laugh out loud. Celeste dreamed of starring in a TV comedy like Friends, but she went on to play a paramedic in a popular medical drama. And when that series flatlined, she used Instagram to take the world by storm, one funny photo at a time. During the devastating bushfires of 2019-20, Celeste knew she couldn't...

When Kath Ruska's dad told her white people would never recognise Aboriginal culture, she hoped he was wrong. She became a famous poet, using her pen as a weapon to fight for Indigenous rights. Her words took her all the way to Parliament House, where she demanded the Prime Minister do more to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. But she still had an English name, so she ch...

Whack! Ash Barty was four years old when she hit a powerful shot at the head of her tennis coach. He said she wasn’t old enough to play but he saw how determined she was. Since then, she’s whacked millions of tennis balls and travelled away from home for months at a time to practice and play. Until, finally, she became the number one female tennis player in the whole world. Written and narrated by...

When a woman has a baby, sometimes things can go wrong. When you are in a poor country, those things often don't get fixed. Dr Catherine Hamlin saw these women needed help and decided to do something about it. She devoted her life to working in the poorest villages in Ethiopia saving thousands of women's lives. She did it all with kindness and determination. Written and narrated by eight-year-old...

You know those girls who are great at sport? That was Nova. She practised hockey endlessly in her backyard until one day she became the first Indigenous woman to win an Olympic gold medal but she wasn't finished. She went on to win a gold medal in sprinting, and then took her courage and energy into politics, becoming Australia's first Indigenous woman to be elected to Federal Parliament. Written...

Dorothea loved to write. So much, that she would write stories and poems in her own secret code. She had a passion for the beauty of the Australian landscape, and her poetry was so good that people all over the world read it. Dorothea wrote one of Australia's most famous poems — My Country. Written and narrated by nine-year-old Amalia MacKellar.

Have you ever stood on a 10m diving board and peered down? It's a long way. Rhiannan Iffland, world champion cliff diver, leaps off at least double that! That's taller than a telephone pole and as big as a Brachiosaurus. But it's not easy. She had to conquer her fears to become the best. Written and narrated by 10-year-old Evie Bond.

Asthma stopped Adelaide Miethke from playing outside with other kids. She felt alone and trapped. So when she grew up and became a teacher, she had an idea. Adelaide realised that outback kids were isolated just like she was. She invented the School of the Air to teach kids from the bush using a two-way radio! Then she fought boldly for female teachers to get the same pay as male teachers. Written...

We asked you to send us stories of your Fierce Girls, and a mountain of magnificent stories hit our inbox! So this International Day of the Girl Child, October 11, you’ll hear six inspiring stories written by Fierce listeners just like you.

Would you like to be part of Fierce Girls? Well...get writing! We're running a competition for our Fierce listeners and we're on the hunt for amazing stories about Australian Fierce Girls!