Stories From The Pacific

Gazellah Bruder has carved out a powerful path as an artist, storyteller, and advocate. Her work boldly centres women, mothers, survivors and warriors, while tackling big themes like colonial legacy, environmental loss, and gender-based violence. With more than 50 exhibitions across Papua New Guinea and around the world, she has become one of the Pacific's most fearless and influential voices in c...

Gazellah Bruder has carved out a powerful path as an artist, storyteller, and advocate. Her work boldly centres women, mothers, survivors and warriors, while tackling big themes like colonial legacy, environmental loss, and gender-based violence. With more than 50 exhibitions across Papua New Guinea and around the world, she has become one of the Pacific’s most fearless and influential voices in c...

Gazellah Bruder has carved out a powerful path as an artist, storyteller, and advocate. Her work boldly centres women, mothers, survivors and warriors, while tackling big themes like colonial legacy, environmental loss, and gender-based violence.  With more than 50 exhibitions across Papua New Guinea and around the world, she has become one of the Pacific’s most  fearless and influential voices in...

From the rugby fields of Cairns, far north QLD, to representing his country by captaining the Kumuls, Rod Griffin has carved out a career defined by resilience, leadership, and a deep commitment to giving back.   A proud Papua New Guinean who made his mark in the game, Rod has played for clubs like the Wests Tigers, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and Ipswich Jets. But his legacy extends beyond the...

Aselu Vaguna O'Brien is a draftsman, climate advocate, and a man of many talents—though if you ask his friends, he's also just 'Strawberry,' the guy who won't stop talking about rugby or his love for fresh fruit. Born in Fiji and raised in Tuvalu, Aselu's journey has taken him from engineering to media, from construction sites to mapping coastlines that are disappearing before his eyes. Today, he'...

Gemma Bird Matheson is an actor/writer/producer of South African and Papua New Guinean heritage. Self-identifying as a queer, Papua New Guinean Christian, Gemma's journey has been an interesting one, particularly when it has come to selecting roles that she can see herself in and relating to. She was a finalist for the 2018 Heath Ledger Scholarship and starred in AACTA and International Emmy Nomin...

For Thomas Manglona, journalism is life. Hailing from the island of Rota, Thomas is a native Chamorro multimedia journalist, whose work in covering government, social justice and environmental issues for TV, has solidified him as a trusted and respected figure within his local community. For Thomas, he has always loved journalism and storytelling and he has always known what the final goal would b...

Jeshua Gideon Hope received his new name when he was 11-years-old. He was raised in a community where introduced Evangelical beliefs encouraged Indigenous-Fijian families to "de-native" themselves as they were taught to believe that this was bring them closer to God.  As an adult, Jeshua is an advocate for the de-colonising of his own culture as well as other Indigenous communities around the glob...

Mara Mahoney on discovering "what was wrong with her" and how knowledge is power.

Paige Mafi permanently marks skin to "alchemise grief and shame", to capture the journeys of parenthood and to acknowledge fertility, miscarriage and loss. This practice and these journeys are reflections of her own experiences throughout her life. 

Neil Nuia speaks on finding the balance between living a life with responsibility while also holding passion and love for his partner, children and community who continues to strengthen, inspire and drive him. 

Lilly Simon and Jonathan Bia have lived completely separate lives, until now. There are two things that connect them – one being that they published the first known children's book to be translated into three languages – Solomon Islands Sign Language, English and Pijin; and the second thing is they both belong to the deaf community in the Solomon Islands. 

You probably know about the last moments of the Rainbow Warrior. But what do you know about the Greenpeace ship's last voyage before it was bombed by the French in New Zealand in 1985? Where had it come from, why was it there and what was it doing? Find out in The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior.

Jamaica Moana's whānau encourage her to "keep it real". We gain private insight into her early performances and the people in her life that continue to ground and support her to this day.

Uein Buranibwe has always been a skilled fisherman; fishing has been part of his routine for his whole life. There is always a risk of being lost at sea, but you never think it could be you — until one day it is. Do you have a story idea for this program? You can email us on: storiesfromthepacific@abc.net.au

Despite a rocky childhood and battling with depression and anxiety, Martha Mataele says "there is always hope". Do you have a story idea for this program? You can email us on: storiesfromthepacific@abc.net.au

Lisa Fa'alafi's decision to co-create theatre work that filled a gap has taken her on a wild ride across the globe. When reflecting on her journey, Lisa recognises that her art practice and work has and continues to imitate her life.  Do you have a story idea for this program? You can email us on: storiesfromthepacific@abc.net.au

Growing up Tony used to listen to kastom stories on the radio in the Solomon Islands. These stories that he listened to as a child nurtured an interest he had for folklore, history, science and mysteries. As he went through his schooling he developed an interest in scientific research and discovered that these two spaces – telling folklore and studying science - were working towards the same goals...

Rubina Kimiia was raised by musicians, at a young age her first music teacher - her Mother - taught her the tools to read and compose sheet music. Rubina picked up these lessons with ease and since that point her learning only continued to develop as her skill with music took her across the globe.  Across her career life Rubina has had many teachers who fostered this love for music. She has discov...

Ghenoa Gela is no stranger to being on the stage and performing in front of an audience.  Born and raised on the ‘mainland’ of Australia in Rockhampton, Queensland, Ghenoa still maintains an ongoing connection back to her Torres Strait Island home and says that in her childhood, “culture was strong” despite the distance of being away from family. Ghenoa’s childhood had her surrounded by blak and b...

Maohi scholar and anti-nuclear testing activist Tamatoa Tepuihiari’i grew up in French Polynesia and had a humble childhood, but something sinister had occurred on his island three decades before he was born. Do you have a story idea for this program? You can email us on: storiesfromthepacific@abc.net.au

Marita Davies believes that all Kiribati people are caretakers of stories, and her recent stage play, The Flying Canoe, allowed young Kiribati children to see themselves and their community on the stage. Do you have a story idea for this program? You can email us on: storiesfromthepacific@abc.net.au

In school, Dion Enari was told by his guidance counsellors that his life and career would only amount to the stereotypes that had been cast upon other Pacific Islander men his age. He has since proven them wrong. Do you have a story idea for this program? You can email us on: storiesfromthepacific@abc.net.au

As a child Milly Grant Koria discovered she held a unique gift. These gifts allowed her to see and speak with those who have died, some of whom we refer to as our ancestors.  However, Milly was not always encouraged to use this gift. Through years of the stigmatisation of spiritual healing practices of Indigenous people and what we think we understand as "black magic", she was taught to believe th...

Koteka Wenda's childhood is full of bittersweet memories and lessons. Her early memories are of her family fleeing West Papua as political-refugees to live in exile in the safety of the United Kingdom.  It was in exile where Koteka and her family discovered what it means to grow a community and continue the spreading of their message to "Free West Papua" using their abilities as mucians, educators...