The Conversation Hour

A recent study has exposed a gap in the amount of time allocated to teaching primary school students how to type and in this edition of The Conversation Hour we discuss why learning to type still matters and what is best practice in teaching it.  Also in this edition, the danger posed by potholes to Victoria's motorcycle community, the extraordinary lengths one man has gone to raise awareness of t...

Today marks  International Day of People with a Disability and in this edition of the Conversation Hour we discuss the prevalence of discrimination in the workplace towards blind and low vision people and how to combat discriminatory attittudes and practices.  Also in this edition, we celebrate 80 years of The Country Hour, discuss what is behind the Prada buying Versace, plus  US hip hop artist K...

New research indicates that nightclubs could be doing more to prevent sexual harm in their venues. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we talk through what sorts of of things venues could be doing to decrease the risk. Also in this edition, keeping pets safe in high density housing, just how much will the metro tunnel reshape the way we travel in the years ahead plus, we speak to a linguist w...

The Metro Tunnell is go and in this special edition of The Conversation Hour we broadcast live from Town Hall Station. We speak with architects, train drivers, station masters and public transport researchers and you on this momentous day for Melbourne.

Two schools in Berwick went into lockdown yesterday, a Department of Education spokesperson said the incident involved a "young student who behaved in a dangerous matter".In this edition of The Conversation Hour we discuss whether lockdown drills are necessary in Victorian schools and how to do them without perpetuating a sense of fear and anxiety in young people. Also in this edition, why this ye...

In this edition of The Conversation Hour we look at where things are currently at with banning single use plastics and discuss the impact it continues to have on marine life. Also in this edition, Stranger Things returns for its final season we talk how to write the perfect ending. The Tik Tok awards were last night, so what role they play in bolstering cultural capital of the platform?  And we ca...

Melbourne has a new staff-free 7-Eleven, which is essentially comprised of vending machines.  In this edition of The Conversation Hour we discuss if this is the way of future for retail and what underpins the move.  Also on the show, actor Chris Hemsworth has released a film that documents a road trip with his dad who has early-onset Alzheimers, we speak with the dementia community on how the docu...

Over the past couple of months a group of 65 plus citizen scientists have hit the streets of Melbourne, mapping their experiences to capture how to make our suburbs more livable for our older population. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we explore what they discovered the work they are doing with researchers in the field to improve our streets and cities. Also in this edition, Stahl House...

A Rail, Tram and Bus Union survey has found 73 per cent of female transport workers have experienced health issues as a result of poor toilet facilities. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we hear about the experiences of a heavy haulage driver on the road and speak with the union about what they would like to see changed to better support women on the road. Also in this edition, why parents...

There is Sabrina Carpenter using a fork as a cigarette holder in a music video, pop star Rosalía giving Charli xcx a cigarette bouquet for her birthday, and Jeremy Allen White from The Bear being papped in the streets smoking, not to mention the rise of 'cigfluencer' on Instagram with all its snaps of famous folk having a puff. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we discuss how much smoking i...

The Ashes start tomorrow and with Christmas just around the corner perhaps you are considering digging out your backyard cricket set. But is the back lawn really still a thing? While it might feel like a part of the  Australian cultural landscape,  some argue that they are not as environmentally sound as you might think. Also in this edition, is thrifting actually all that sustainable? How a not-f...

This morning our 774 ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast host Sharnelle Vella shared the joyous news that she is expecting a baby girl in March. She reflected that it had not been an easy journey revealing her struggle with infertility and spoke of her years of IVF treatments and unexpected endometriosis diagnosis. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we discuss just how significant infertility can...

32 years ago today Nirvana played an unplugged gig for MTV in New York and it marked a pivotal moment for the band. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we explore why the performance was so significant and hear your stories about what Nirvana meant to you. Also in this edition, First term MP Jess Wilson has been elected to lead the Victorian Liberal Party, becoming the first woman to lead the...

In this edition of the Conversation Hour we talk of Solo Mothers by Choice day, which generally describes single mums who have used assisted reproductive technology. One of the key focuses of the day is advocating for for equal treatment in law, policy and society. We discuss what area of law reform the community would like to see as well as the growing sense of connection fostered by the communit...

It's been a big week for rock in Melbourne — in this edition of The Conversation Hour we ask you when you discovered the genre. Also in this edition, intimacy coordinators have been making headlines this week , we discuss how their role in the industry is evolving. Plus, how much do rom-coms shape our relationships?

A new women's health study from Monash University has looked at the impact of decreasing libido on women midlife. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we speak with researcher on what factors might underpin poor sexual wellbeing, how it impacts their lives and why we need to start talking about it. But first,  the state of caravan parks in Victoria, a debrief on AC/DC, and we check in with OzH...

AC/DC are in Melbourne and folk are excited. In this edition of The Conversation we hear your AC/DC stories and reflect on what their set list might look like. Also in this edition, the health of local theatre in Victoria plus, violent youth offenders will be tried in adult courts, but how far will it really go in curbing youth crime.

New research has looked at the experience of autistic people playing team sport and has revealed that while there is a desire to increase their participation, barriers are preventing it. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we explore what those barriers are and how to create more inclusive team environments. Also in this edition, why people are protesting Shein in Paris, how our  bee populati...

Has football become too long and too confusing? And will the new wildcard make it even more complicated? In this edition of The Conversation Hour we ask if you are struggling to keep up and why it has become increasingly complex. Also in this edition , we talk the importance of archiving history ahead of Remembrance Day, how you can do your bit for citizen science, plus should Vault move to Mildur...

Bryan Lipmann  has been named the 2026 Senior Australian of the Year for Victoria and in this edition of The Conversation Hour he speaks with Justin Smith about his work advocating for homeless older people.  Also in this edition former premier of Victoria Steve Bracks, shares his reflections on the Whitlam dismissal in the lead up to the 50th anniversary, plus we also talk music memoirs and why l...

In a housing crisis the idea of holiday home has become something of a dirty word, and comes with a presumption of privilege. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we explore what role the holiday home has played in Australia culture and whether it is really fair to assume they are only for the wealthy. Also in this edition, how the plastics industry made the burden of recycling a consumer issu...

In this edition of The Conversation Hour we learn about the 2025 Foodbank Hunger Report, talk the come back of Race Around the World and ask do magazines for teenagers still matter? 

A couple of months ago the car company introduced a so called 'semi-autonomous' driving feature upgrade here in Australia. They call it 'supervised' self-driving. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we explore how this feature works what sort of policy needs to be introduced to make sure it is safe. Also in this edition, we celebrate 50 years of Bohemian Rhapsody, how to use your own body wei...

As tech companies launch live translation features, in this edition of The Conversation Hour we explore how much it influence our motivation to learn new languages and discuss how much we can really rely on the accuracy of the translations. Also in this edition a new study that looks at the experiences of young people caring for parents with early onset dementia, plus is it becoming just too expen...

A new Aged Care Act is coming in November. In this special edition of The Conversation we explore how the act will affect you and the people you love.