Tempus

A monthly podcast telling the tales of what came before. Chronicled by Matt Smith. “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” - Rudyard Kipling

Last refreshed: July 12th, 2025 at 5:06 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

#7 A Talk with Malcolm Fraser

An interview with Malcolm Fraser, former prime minister of Australia from 1975-1983. He talks about his past in politics, Australian policy towards asylum seekers, the need for better funding in education, and his thoughts on the current Liberal Party. Recorded in October 2009.

Mar 20, 2015•24 min

#6 A History of Gallipoli Before 1915

The Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey had a long history before it became the site of the Battle of Gallipoli during World War I - it is an area that has been inhabited by Greeks and Romans, and its literary origins stretch all the way back to Homer's Iliad. Guest: Christopher Mackie

Mar 09, 2015•14 min

#5 The Great Melbourne Telescope

Built in 1868 by Thomas Grubb in Ireland, the Great Melbourne Telescope was the second largest operating telescope in the world. Designed to to explore the nebulae visible from the southern hemisphere, its home was the observatory at Melbourne Botanical Gardens until closure in 1945. Guests: Matthew Churchward and Richard Gillespie More information, photos and music list at the website: wp.me/p54XSv-1t

Feb 05, 2015•13 min

#4 Perth's Old Court House

The old court house in the middle of Stirling Gardens in Perth is the city's oldest surviving public building. It was built in 1836 and as well as a law court it was a place of worship, a school, a concert hall and the site of public meetings. Guest: Richard Offen More information, photos and music list at the website: wp.me/p54XSv-1h

Jan 06, 2015•13 min

#3 Flinders Street Station Ballroom

Flinders Street Station is an iconic hub of activity in Melbourne, with more than 100,000 people passing through every day. But there's a side to the station that lies mostly forgotten which few people see - a grand ballroom, long since neglected, now decaying and falling to pieces. Guest: Peter Watson More information, photos and music list at the website: wp.me/p54XSv-I

Dec 08, 2014•12 min

#2 The Hoddle Grid

In 1837 a surveyor named Robert Hoddle was sent from Sydney to the mouth of the Yarra, charged with the duties of laying out what would become the city of Melbourne. The design was a grid layout running parallel to the river, and has become known as Hoddle's Grid. Guest: Miles Lewis More information, photos and music list at the website: http://wp.me/p54XSv-P

Nov 09, 2014•14 min

#1 Pentridge Prison's Panopticon

Recent archaeological digs at Pentridge Prison in Melbourne have uncovered three airing yards built in the design of a panopticon. Based on original concepts by Jeremy Bentham, the airing yard design allowed a single guard in the middle tower to keep an eye on each prisoner while they had fresh air for one hour a day. Guest: Adam Ford More information, photos and music list at the website: http://wp.me/p54XSv-3

Oct 07, 2014•16 min

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