Sarah and Richard give you a sneak peek behind the scenes of the Conversations Live Tour, Brisbane edition. Writer and comedian, Mandy Nolan and Chair of Creative Australia, Quandamooka man Wesley Enoch were two of the special guests who appeared on stage to share some photos close to their heart, and the stories attached to them. Further information To see Mandy and Wesley's photos for yourself, head to the ABC Conversations Facebook page . https://www.facebook.com/abcconvos/ To binge even more...
Aug 22, 2025•38 min
Deeply ashamed of something he had done, Mic Whitty retreated into the Welsh wilderness until an unexpected goal pulled him out of homelessness and back into the world. Mic had entered the workforce at the tender age of 15, joining the RAAF as an apprentice, before taking on a series of highly paid jobs in Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. But feeling stressed out and burnt out, Mic decided to take a simpler job at a youth hostel in the United Kingdom. Mic, however, couldn't financially acclimatise ...
Aug 21, 2025•54 min
Tommy Caldwell grew up exploring Yosemite, looking up at El Capitan's punishing 3000ft sheer rock face. After years of training, he was ready to climb it. Tommy is regarded as the world’s best big wall climber. He spent 15 years ascending various routes on El Capitan, the Yosemite National Park mecca for big wall climbers, until he was finally ready to attempt a route christened 'The Dawn Wall'. The Dawn Wall is a 3000-foot ascent up sheer rock on the southeast face of El Capitan. It took Tommy ...
Aug 20, 2025•53 min
Vickie's police record began when she was just 2 years old, and followed her throughout her life. But as an adult she pushed back, challenging a federal law for the rights of prisoners. When Vickie was given a police record as a toddler, it enabled authorities to place her into the custody of a family she didn't know. She grew up in western Sydney, under the strict religious rule of her adoptive mother, with whom she clashed time and again. Vickie left school at 13., and in the same year she met...
Aug 19, 2025•52 min
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 with fellow lawyer, Mary Crock, and they began a family. Ron became the first totally blind profess...
Aug 17, 2025•51 min
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 after the large animals had been hit by cars. Word spread about his passion for orphaned joeys, and...
Aug 14, 2025•53 min
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 lessons he would need to survive and thrive as he grew older. On the surface, Stan seemed disinterested i...
Aug 13, 2025•53 min
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.facebook.com/abcconvos/ To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler...
Aug 13, 2025•10 min
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/abcconvos/ To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah...
Aug 13, 2025•13 min
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 prison. The effects on the family were far-reaching and devastating and as a result, Kirsty volunteer...
Aug 12, 2025•54 min
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 says that early freedom, risk-taking and random opportunities were the best things that could possibly...
Aug 10, 2025•53 min
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 risks to secure a good life for both of her sons, including escaping an abusive marriage. Her risks...
Aug 07, 2025•51 min
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 they'd avoided the dentist for years. A patient named Anna profoundly changed Sharonne's understanding ...
Aug 06, 2025•53 min
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 the cub Christian, and lived with him as a pet in their Chelsea flat, above a furniture shop. Eventu...
Aug 05, 2025•52 min
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 Sweet Country, a huge number of classic Australian films feature Bryan, a testament to his talent, popu...
Aug 04, 2025•53 min
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 woman behind the name. So she set out to discover who Henrietta Lacks really was. Further information ...
Aug 03, 2025•53 min
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 the adventure along with some of our many intrepid guests: Palani Mohan , Bonnie Hancock, Chris Watson...
Aug 01, 2025•48 min
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 across the country by featuring some extraordinary principals and teachers. Content warning: Sergio ...
Aug 01, 2025•1 hr
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 in the hunt for answers. Further information Listen to the full episodes from featured guests: Paul ...
Aug 01, 2025•1 hr
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 plate of stories about food and cooking also includes stories from Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris...
Aug 01, 2025•51 min
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 rendition of a Perry Como classic; hear him wax lyrical about the mayhem and magic of family life i...
Aug 01, 2025•51 min
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.
Jul 31, 2025•53 min
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 never be his whole, true self around them. For most of his life, Daniel was in denial about being gay, d...
Jul 30, 2025•52 min
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 as a nun. Clare had already completed her training as a nurse, and so she didn't want to join a conte...
Jul 29, 2025•51 min
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 killed almost 100 people and as Lucy and her dad watched it all unfold on the television, she remem...
Jul 25, 2025•52 min
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 grew up surrounded by drug abuse and crime in a rough part of Sydney. Her family was marked by addictio...
Jul 24, 2025•51 min
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 searching for treatments to help Josie and other children like her. He found running was one thing that ...
Jul 23, 2025•50 min
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 her at the piano at home. But after her parents divorced, Nina’s moods became erratic, and Lisa was of...
Jul 22, 2025•52 min
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 through the auto-doors. There was the man dressed as a giant bee, a woman who offered to pay for her fu...
Jul 18, 2025•51 min
As a boy, Dr Rangan Chatterjee saw his dad work day and night as a doctor before succumbing to an auto-immune disease. After his father's death in 2013, Rangan had an epiphany about his own future. Rangan rew up watching his workaholic father come home from his first job in a hospital, have dinner, shave and leave for his night shift as a home-visiting GP. It was normal for his dad to only sleep three nights a week, for 30 years. This sort of lifestyle eventually caught up with Rangan's father, ...
Jul 17, 2025•48 min
