Territory Story

Vassy Karagiorgos is known to her fans as ‘VASSY’. She is a singer/song writer who has topped the Billboard Dance Charts & Dance Radio in the US with recent singles “Trouble”, “Concrete Heart”, “Lost” with Afrojack and “Nothing To Lose” co-produced with Tiësto. With 8 x #1 Billboard Singles, 17 Platinum Certifications & 2 Gold Records, VASSY recently joined the 1 Billion Stream Club. She’s one of...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week’s stories are: 1. ICAC investigating Chief Minister’s staff’s handling of ‘cocaine sex scandal’ 2. Gunner Government inflated jobs figures on projects: Auditor General 3. Chief Minister ‘worried’ about effects of JobKeeper endin...

Our guest on the Territory Story podcast needs no introduction. Former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, joins us to talk about the Senate inquiry into media diversity and ownership in Australia and how this affects the Territory. He also shares his thoughts on Australia’s relationship with China and how we could be better handling the issue.

Craig (Winna) Oldroyd is the CEO of the Gary Dhurrkay Foundation and a Balunu Board member. At a young age he was adopted into the Abala / Cooper family and has been taught by some amazing indigenous women and men. A big sports lover, Craig has taken on volunteer roles with grass roots indigenous football over many years and has helped to achieve real outcomes in indigenous communities, in improvi...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week’s stories are: 1. Alice Springs council explores joint legal action against Gunner Government over crime issues 2. Gunner’s ‘tough on crime’ bail reform legislation not moving ahead anytime soon 3. Police Minister denies governm...

Graham Steele is the son of one of the Territory Self-Government pioneers, Roger Steele. Born in Adelaide but growing up in the Territory, Graham has been living in the US for over 20 years. Although he says home is still Darwin, Graham currently lives in Beverley Hills, California, with his Darwin born wife and their three children. Graham talk about his life and his work in television and movies...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week’s stories are: 1. Crime not reported by NT Police 2. Calls for Gunner to repay taxpayer cash used for campaigning 3. Mick Gooda owes the Territory crime solutions: Lambley 4. ‘It’s a PR disaster’: Central Australia tourism opera...

Kym Cairns was born in Brisbane and raised on the northside. She went to Aspley High and then to Griffith University where she studied to become a high school geography teacher. Her first posting was the indigenous community of Doomadgee in the Gulf country of far north Queensland. Kym talks about her time there and the challenges faced by indigenous Australians. She also talks about the horrific...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week’s stories are: 1. Darwin added to the list for Federal Government’s half price flights 2. Medical association questions NT Government’s ability to run international quarantine 3. Rental market expected to ‘overheat’ as new healt...

Tisha Tejaya was born in Jakarta in the late 90s, Her parents moved to Darwin when she was two years old. Although an only child, Tisha convinced her parents to allow her to board with a family in Sydney they’d met on the net, so she could complete high school. She then went onto ANU and studied law before returning to Darwin to work for the Department of the Attorney-General and Justice. As a Dar...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week’s stories are: 1. ‘Death by a thousand cuts’: Gunner’s leadership questioned over persistent cover-up allegations 2. ABC interview segment with ‘cocaine sex scandal’ woman altered at Labor MLA’s request: texts 3. Text messages r...

Jordan-Ravi is a 21 year old singer-songwriter from Darwin. At 18 Jordan was a contestant on America’s Got Talent where he even managed to impress the persnickety, Simon Cowell. He followed this up as a contestant on Eurovision’s Australia Decides. Just when Jordan’s career was about to take off, COVID-19 hit. He decided to return to Darwin from Melbourne and has spent the past year doing local gi...

Darren Gore is the CEO of Calibre One, an IT, communications and security business based in the Northern Territory and South Australia. Originally from Adelaide, Darren got involved in a few businesses before joining Telstra and getting posted to Darwin. That was the beginning of his love affair with Darwin that saw him eventually move here permanently in 2011. Darren talks about his career path a...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week’s stories are: 1. Gunner Government kills motion to refer Chief Minister for investigation over ban on free press 2. The Chief Minister has blamed a server fault for the delay in receiving the damning email related to the cocain...

Devan Sabaratnam was born in Malaysia and came to Darwin in 1978 at the age of 12. His father was a doctor and by Devan’s estimation, delivered half the babies in Darwin during his lifetime. Devan didn’t quite follow his father’s footsteps, opting instead to become a commercial airline pilot. However the pilot strike of 1985 put paid to that idea and so Devan decided to try his hand at computing....

Brad Geddes is the Northern Territory Manager for EG Australia. EG Group has been in business in Australia since 2019 when it purchased a nationwide network of fuel stations from Woolworths Group. Born in Brisbane, he grew up in Mackay. After finishing year 12, Brad went to Denmark as an exchange student. In the year he spent there he had become fluent enough in Danish to argue with a customs offi...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the story dominating news in the Territory this week. This was of course the government’s handling of a scandal involving one of its 5th floor staffers, a local member of parliament and a bondage mistress.

Athina Pascoe-Bell is the Mayor of the City of Palmerston. Three years ago, the City of Palmerston was in crisis. The former council was so dysfunctional that the Territory government had to step in, sack the council and appoint an interim manager. Then we had an election and a new council was sworn in. Today, hardly anyone hears a bad word about council. This isn’t an accident. Anthina Pascoe-Bel...

Robyn Connell and Jingman Yang could not have come from more different backgrounds but here they are in the Territory, working together to give overseas students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience with local businesses. Born and raised in Melbourne, Robyn left school and joined Ansett, first in administration, then as a Flight Attendant. She flew domestically for several years before...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week’s stories are: 1. Kids’ fears over crime ‘incredibly serious’ and can’t be ignored: Opposition 2. Gunner admits failings on crime, pledges ‘significant work’ as MLAs unconvinced 3. Gunner stifling crime debate, only talks to pub...

One of five sisters, Karen Brown was born in the hinterland of Papua New Guinea in the 60s. Her parents were school teachers and missionaries. The family spent ten years in that tiny village in PNG, a five day walk from the nearest town. All five children were born in PNG. They eventually moved back to Sydney, Australia but Karen’s father had nomadic blood and after a couple of years they moved to...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the stories making news in the Territory. These stories are: 1. NT declares 10 Melbourne suburbs coronavirus hotspots after hotel quarantine worker case 2. Darwin kids worry more about crime and their own safety than school, new research reveals 3. ‘We no longer feel safe anywhere’: Peti...

Dr Chris Chilcott is the head of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Darwin. Originally from Perth, Chris completed an honours degree in science before heading east where he completed a PhD at the University of New England. His work has focused mainly on agriculture but he jumped at the opportunity to take up the administrative role with the CSIRO in Darwin....

Originally from Adelaide, Craig Spencer served in the South Australian police force for 24 years before coming up to Darwin for a ‘holiday’. That was 24 years ago. It’s a familiar refrain and Craig talks about why he loves the Territory and what keeps him here. After working in different roles, including for Air North in Katherine and Deputy General Manager at the Darwin Private Hospital, Craig de...

On this weekend edition of the podcast, Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, talks about the stories making the news in the Territory. These stories include: 1. Gunner Government finally releases secret China agreement – and it’s not quite what the Chief Minister claimed 2. Sun Cable solar project agreement signed with NT Government 3. ‘The lack of action is sickening’: Lamb...