Conversations

Psychiatrist Duncan McKellar wrote the report that triggered the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. He has seen how care changes when we take someone's life story into account.Duncan McKellar is a psychiatrist specialising in the care of older people with dementia and serious mental health conditions.When Duncan first started working with these patients, he was shocked to find elderly people tied to chairs and left in locked rooms.His advocacy helped trigger the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and he devoted himself to running a very different kind of care facility — one where everyone’s story is understood and respected.This episode of Conversations discusses aged care, elder abuse, older Australians, aging, Alzheimer's, dementia, aging population, family dynamics, grief.Further informationDuncan's book An Everyone Story: Finding our way back to compassion, hope and humanity is published by Wakefield PressRead more about Duncan and his daughter, Erin's musical A Box of Memories here.To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The late James Earl Jones grew up with a stutter and hardly said a word for years. After an English teacher intervened, he grew up to become one of the world's finest actors. (R)Actor James Earl Jones died recently, at the age of 93.When he was touring Australia in 2013 with a production of Driving Miss Daisy, Richard had the chance to sit down with him and ask him about his life.Although we knew him for his magnificent voice, James Earl Jones grew up with a stutter.A stutter which was so severe that he hardly said a word for years. But after the intervention of an English professor, he decided to become an actor.He grew up to become one of his generation's finest stage and screen actors, in films like The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and of course, in Star Wars.This episode of Conversations explores Hollywood, film, cinema, stuttering, acting, Star Wars, cinema, obit, obituaries.To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

From sharks with wheels of teeth, to gargantuan sharks like the megalodon, palaeontologist John Long has traced the long and storied history of these oceanic hunters.Sharks and humans have a complicated relationship.We have long considered them monsters and super predators that should be eliminated for our own safety.But sharks are much more than scary and fearsome.The history of this incredible animal stretches back hundreds of millions of years.From sharks with wheels of teeth, to the ascent of the super predators like the megalodon, palaeontologist John Long has traced the long and storied history of these hunters, asking how they've managed to survive extinction despite everything that's been thrown at them.This episode of Conversations explores science, origin stories, ancient history, sharks, palaeontology, the ocean, climate change, megalodon, hunting and predators.Further informationThe Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean's Most Fearsome Predators is published by HachetteTo binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Author and professor Anita Heiss on her parents' story of romance, and how she brings true history alive in her work.Anita Heiss is a Wiradjuri woman, an author of many books and Professor of Communications at The University of Queensland.She has described herself as a “concrete Koori with Westfield dreaming.”Many of Anita's books focus on great love stories, and the inspiration for these romances came from the enduring, devoted love she saw between her parents – the very Austrian “Joe-the-carpenter”, and Elsie, a proud Wiradjuri woman.Anita’s latest book goes back to the 1800s, bringing to life the brutal frontier wars in Bathurst, when martial law was declared.This episode of Conversations discusses First Nations Australians, interracial relationships, Indigenous culture, colonisation, colonialism, family, origin stories, love stories, Australian history, ancestry.

For decades, Gideon Haigh and his mother were the only two people who really knew what happened on Jaz's last night. This year, it all poured out.Gideon Haigh's brother Jasper was 17 years old when he died in a car crash.Until this year, Gideon and his mother were the only two people who really knew what happened to Jaz on that tragic night.Gideon has spent decades perfecting answers to questions about his brother — answers that never invited further discussion.This year, something peculiar happened, and in 72 hours Gideon poured his pent-up recollections onto the page, to be turned into a book about the story of his brother, Jaz.This episode touches on grief, family stories, loss, mothers, brotherhood, love, life, death, writing, reflection, secrets, storytelling, memoir, life stories, family dynamics and personal stories.

After a childhood spent trying to escape her father's booze-fuelled outbursts, Seana developed her own problem relationship with drinking. But by her mid-50s, Seana decided she had had enough.Seana Smith grew up in a beautiful house in rural Scotland, and when things were good at home, they were wonderful.But Seana’s father loved to drink, and his habit took over her family’s life.Despite the fights, abuse and violence, Seana's mother couldn't bring herself to leave her husband, and so Seana found every excuse to get away -- from pony camp at 12 years old, to applying for boarding school without her parents' knowledge, and then to Oxford University.Eventually Seana fell in love and ended up on the opposite side of the world, in Australia, where she started a family of her own.But as she reached her mid 50s, Seana realised that the way she loved to drink meant she hadn’t really left home at all, and so she started her own journey of sobriety.Seana's story deals with themes of alcoholism, substance abuse, problem drinking, dementia, family violence, sobriety, motherhood and getting sober.

Dog behaviourist Laura Vissaritis uses science and psychology to better understand what our dogs really are telling us and how our behaviour influences theirs (R).Laura is a dog behaviourist with qualifications in both animal behaviour and human psychology.Dogs were the first animals to become domesticated, and over the centuries they've evolved from their wolfish origins to become more useful, attentive and appealing to us. Laura says that when a dog is displaying 'difficult' behaviours like too much barking, pulling on the lead, or jumping up, the first step in the process is often changing the behaviour of their human. She also believes with the increasing tendency in Australia to view our dogs as quasi-people has led to heavy expectations on many dogs, to which they can't always measure up.This episode of Conversations explores dogs, pets, animal behaviour, animal psychology, fur babies, service dogs, psychology, co-dependence, animal rescue, death, grief and animal welfare.To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

As a young child, chunks of Brenda Matthews' early memories were missing until her biological mother told her the truth of what happened. Together they are slowly healingWiradjuri woman Brenda Matthews was stolen from her family, along with her six siblings, when she was two-years-old.She came from a loving, hardworking, religious family.She was fostered by an affectionate white family, and she blended into her new life happily.After six years of living with them, she was told it was time to return “home” to her biological family — who she didn’t remember at all.For most of her life, Brenda suppressed her memories of her white parents and their love and care. Then, as an adult, she worked up the courage to bring both sides of her family together, so they could all slowly heal.This episode touches on family history, the Stolen Generations, memoir, life stories, ancestry, modern history, origin stories, personal stories, epic storytelling, reflection, grief, loss, exploration and memory.

When a devastating injury ended Jack Beaumont's career as a jet fighter pilot, he decided to become a spy, in the French Secret Service.Jack Beaumont (not his real name) is a former intelligence operative and the author of several spy thrillers.Jack grew up in a turbulent family in Paris and when he got older he decided to train as a jet fighter pilot with the French Air Force.During a training dogfight at supersonic speed, Jack suffered a devastating injury that meant he could no longer fly jets, but he still wanted a job steeped in adventure and danger.So he began piloting covert spy missions, and eventually became a spy with France's secret intelligence service: the DGSE, maintaining up to five secret identities at a time.While he now lives in a beautiful part of Australia with his wife and family, Jack has struggled to leave behind the extreme hyper vigilance of his early working life.This conversation discusses family dynamics, adventure, history, global politics, spies, military life and spycraft.

While struggling with PTSD, social researcher Rebecca Huntley chose an unconventional and underground path to healing — MDMA therapy.Rebecca Huntley is well known to many Australians for her formidable intellect and career as a broadcaster, an author and a social researcher.But despite her impressive public-facing life, in private, Rebecca's trauma from a difficult upbringing refused to leave her.At 50, she walked the Camino in Italy and realised that after 30 years of therapy, she was still living with a great deal of anger about what had happened to her as a child.She decided to take a radical step to deal with her PTSD and her suffering. She had three sessions of MDMA therapy, delivered by an underground healer. The treatment changed Rebecca's life and her view of the world.This conversation discusses therapy, trauma, psychedelics, drugs, parenting, grief, family, mothers, ancestry, fathers, family dynamics, domestic violence, going no contact, exploration and loss.To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversation podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

When Carolyn Blacklock's passport was confiscated from her in a foreign country she was faced with a scary reality that got wilder at every turnCarolyn Blacklock's passport was taken from from her at the Port Moresby International Airport when she was trying to get on a plane back to Australia. It was at that moment she realised just how much trouble she was in. Carolyn, who had headed up the national power company in Papua New Guinea and worked for the World Back there, had faced charges of corruption after a change in government. When the court cleared her of any and all wrongdoing, she thought she would be able to leave the country, but still she was detained or threatened at every turn.So, Carolyn set about getting herself out of PNG and back to Australia by any means necessary.What ensued was a wild, nine-day journey travelling in a helicopter, in the boot of a four-wheel drive, in a tiny dinghy and on foot. While Carolyn did get herself out of PNG, she desperately misses the country she called home for more than a decade.Carolyn's story explores escape, adventure, family, regional development, the Pacific, banking, diplomacy, corruption, governance, country Australia, Papua New Guinea, close neighbours, emigration, illegal immigration, politics and foreign affairs.

Kári Gíslason was 18 when he met a mysterious stranger called 'the Pirate' on the Greek island of Corfu. When he fled the island, he left behind a debt he promised to one day repay.When Kári Gíslason was 18, he came to the island of Corfu as a stony-broke traveller. But he quickly found work in a little town: lime washing walls and working as a builder’s labourer.The man who gave him the work was a mysterious figure known simply as ’the Pirate’.At first, Kári thought it was a nickname given to him as a comic exaggeration of his former life as a ship’s cook.But he received warnings from several people to get away from the Pirate.And when the Pirate said he wanted Kári to sail with him across the Atlantic to deliver unnamed goods to Brazil, Kári began to plot his escape.

Andy McCarthy found passion for solar power as a high school dropout. He began one of Australia's biggest solar businesses, right in the heart of Victoria's coal country. But then a breakdown changed everything for Andy and his familyAndy McCarthy dropped out of high school in year 10. He was a highly energetic kid but found it difficult to latch onto any one thing for long.Andy was happier out of school, and tried a whole lot of different jobs.Then at 19, he connected his first solar panel and was suddenly fired up with a jolt of enthusiasm.He set up a rooftop solar business right in the middle of coal country – in the LaTrobe Valley in Country Victoria.Setting up a solar panel shop in a place surrounded by some of Australia’s biggest coal-fired power stations was always going to invite scepticism.But Andy’s drive saw the business grow from a garage operation to one of the biggest employers in the area. At the height of his success though, Andy suffered a breakdown that landed him in hospital – and he realised he would have to change, along with the rest of the planet.Andy's story covers themes of neurodivergence, ADHD, ADD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, climate change, solar power, solar panels, batteries, small business, education, schooling, success, environmental issues, the economy, economic development, regional Australia and industry.

In this two-part series, historian Paul Ham traces how our definition and understanding of the human soul has transformed over thousands of years. Humans have been probing their own invisible inner voice since the Stone Age. But where did the concept of the soul even come from? And is it really what separates the living from the dead?Historian and writer Paul Ham has traced how our definition and understanding of the human soul has changed over thousands of years.Human beings have been probing their own inner voice, what it means and how it makes us feel, since the Stone Age.The human soul has long thought to be an invisible, inner essence that makes each of us distinctively different from the rocks and trees, and which also separates the living from the dead.But where did it come from? Who invented the concept of the soul? And do we still believe in the soul as inextricably linked to the human spirit?In this two-part series, Paul investigated first what the pre-modern world called 'the soul'. In this episode, he explores how the concept of the soul disappeared, and became 'the mind' in the modern era.This episode touches on ancient history, philosophy, neurology, religion, death, epic storytelling, faith, exploration and memory.

Suzie Miller's frugal and free range St Kilda childhood taught her to question almost everything. She grew up to become a trailblazing writer and lawyer (R)Suzie Miller grew up in St Kilda, and from early in life she had a number of part-time jobs. She became a trailblazing paper girl in her local area, when the role was usually only offered to boys.As a young woman Suzie trained as a lawyer and began working with homeless teenagers in Sydney’s Kings Cross. She then began to write stories and plays out of the lives she was encountering in court.She thought these were stories the world needed to hear. And the world sat up and listened.Suzie’s award winning play Prima Facie, a one woman show about how the legal system treats victims of sexual assault, has received standing ovations from its Sydney premiere to the West End in London and on Broadway in New York. The play has since inspired a TV show, a movie and a novel.Suzie's story covers themes of grief, family, motherhood, memoir, an exploration of the legal system, grief, and reflections on the changing role of women the modern world.

Helen Vatsikopoulos' family never spoke about what happened to her aunt, Aspasia after the Greek Civil War. She uncovered a story of secret evacuation, exile and unknown family members.Helen Vatsikopoulos was born in a little mountain village on the northern border of Greece.She came to Adelaide as a young girl and grew up to become a TV journalist, covering big international stories for the ABC and SBS.When she was in her 30s, Helen and her husband were visiting her parents when her father started telling stories she had never heard before.He remembered what happened in their village during the Greek Civil War and how Helen’s aunt Aspasia, along with thousands of other Greeks, were smuggled by Stalin to a new life in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.The family didn't know what became of Aspasia, so Helen got to work to find out.This episode touches on family history, communism, memoir, life stories, ancestry, modern history, mountains, origin stories, personal stories, epic storytelling, reflection, grief, loss, exploration and memory.

Artist Michael Galovic had been painting mysterious and mystical icons for decades before he truly understood the theology behind what he was doing — expertly and purposefully distorting reality to create a window into a heavenly and otherworldly realm

Dave Gleeson is known for his blistering performances in The Screaming Jets and The Angels, but he grew up singing at Mass in Cardiff, with a mum who opened their home to hundreds of foster children (R)

In this two-part series, historian Paul Ham traces how our definition and understanding of the human soul has transformed over thousands of years. Humans have been probing their own invisible inner voice since the Stone Age. But where did the concept of the soul even come from? And is it really what separates the living from the dead?

People travel from all over the world to learn about horses from Ken Faulkner. But after a life-threatening riding accident on his favourite horse, Smoke, Ken had to learn to walk and ride again, rediscovering himself in the process

In 2014, Ailsa Piper's husband's unexpected death cast her adrift in a sea of grief. Then bit by bit, life called her back. Ailsa Piper is a writer and a walker.She has used walking throughout her life as a meditative salve and a way to reflect on her life.In 2014 Ailsa's beloved husband Peter died suddenly, while she was interstate for work.His death cast her adrift in a sea of grief, but bit by bit life called her back.A few years ago Ailsa had her own life-threatening health scare, and now she sees herself as a lucky woman.Further informationFor Life is published by Allen & Unwin.Ailsa's first book, the bestselling memoir Sinning Across Spain is published by MUP.To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

On Carol Perry’s communal farm there’s ‘no loneliness, and no mortgages’. It’s a long way from the life her parents expected her to lead, and she got there after an overseas motorbike tour and teaching in a war zone

Kim McKay is the Director and CEO of The Australian Museum, responsible for 22 million objects that tell the history of the world (Content warning: this episode discusses human remains held in museums and the repatriation process. Indigenous, Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Islander peoples, please listen with care.)

Like tracing the cultural history of breathing or love, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when, how or why humans started making music. But composer and broadcaster Andrew Ford has uncovered the story of music, from pre-historic times to now

As a child, the superstar swim coach lived with a chronic lung condition, and had part of a lung removed. In 1956, a huge event held in his family's backyard changed the course of his life (R)

Jana Pittman became one of Australia's most famous athletes as a young woman. Then at age 30, she found herself at a painful crossroads (R)

The Tokyo Paralympics were Christie's seventh as a wheelchair racing competitor, but Christie almost gave up marathons after the 2013 Boston Marathon, and the most frightening experience of her life (CW: mention of suicide) (R)

Anna's stellar cycling career saw her smash Australian Olympic records and become the World Champion 11 times. Then to the surprise of many, she walked away from cycling for good, returning to the world stage as Australia's Chef de Mission for Paris 2024 (R)

Swimmer and entrepreneur Lisa Curry's life has been full of highs and lows both in and out of the pool. But it was the death of her daughter, Jaimi, that completely changed her. This is how Lisa fought to get her old self back after her unimaginable loss (R)

How a boy who grew up on a fishing trawler became the first man in Australia to run 100 metres in under 10 seconds (R)

Bruce McAvaney is the voice of Australian sport, with a commentating style built on his relentless work ethic and genuine passion. But if he hadn't chucked a sickie one day while working as a public servant, the past 50 years of Australian sport might have sounded very different

Writer Louise Kennedy grew up at the height of The Troubles, just outside of Belfast, where violence was ever-present. When her family's pub was bombed, they decided to move south, where Louise trained as a chef. But after decades of working in the kitchen, a chance invitation to a writer's group lead to an unexpected new career (R)

Tony Armstrong felt like a failure when his AFL career ended. But he found his feet again, falling upwards into a different life, calling footy matches, hosting live television, and now writing a children's book. This is why Tony isn't scared of failing anymore

Forced to flee West Papua, Lele's family wandered for years before coming to Australia. When they eventually received Australian citizenship and passports, the family was finally able to travel to West Papua. But Lele's homecoming journey was bittersweet, after tragedy struck

When writer Lily Brett went to visit Auschwitz, the death camp both her parents had survived, she couldn't help but start tidying up the place where so many of her family had been murdered, and touching the ashes of what was left

I Was Actually There is a new ABC podcast featuring gripping stories told by people who witnessed history first-hand. Hear what it was like to be a police sniper tasked with handling the gunman at the Port Arthur massacre; how it felt to be a teenager seeing The Beatles during their record-breaking 1964 Adelaide visit; and how one man survived being trapped 1km underground for 14 days, after the Beaconsfield mine collapse.Follow the I Was Actually There podcast on ABC listen.In this episode, Rebekah Giles and her boyfriend were enjoying a last-minute Christmas holiday in Thailand when the deadliest tsunami in recorded history struck. Rebekah recounts her remarkable survival, from the moment a torrent of water blew apart her beachfront hut on Phi Phi Island.

Monte Punshon was 103 years old when she was crowned the world's oldest lesbian, but that wasn't how she summed up her extraordinary life. Historian Tessa Morris-Suzuki charts Monte's adventures through underground bars and secret clubsAt 103 years old, Ethel May Punshon, who was variously known as Miss Montague, Mickey and Monte, was crowned the 'world's oldest lesbian'.However, that wasn't how she summed up her extraordinary life.Historian Tessa Morris-Suzuki has researched Monte's long, mysterious and adventurous life.Monte worked in children's theatre at the turn of last century, frequented underground drag parties in the 1930s, and made trailblazing trips to Japan.Throughout her life, Monte was driven by her unrelenting curiosity and a simple motto: don't be afraid.Further informationA Secretive Century: Monte Punshon's Australia is published by MUPTo binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Winnie Dunn is the General Manager of Sweatshop Literacy Movement. Here she tells the story of how family and writing brought her home to Tonga, and gave Winnie the power to launch herself into the world on her own terms.Winnie grew up between her father and stepmother's house and the home of her grandmother — a brick home in Mount Druitt called the house of fe'ofa'aki, meaning “to love one another”.For years, Winnie's Tongan identity made her uneasy and instead of being a homecoming, her first trip to Tonga as a teenager was a disaster.Over time her understanding of what it means to be Pacific Islander evolved, and at the age of 28, she became the first Tongan-Australian to have a novel published.Further informationDirt Poor Islanders is published by HachetteTo binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Nas Campanella was six months old when she lost her sight. She fell in love with the radio and audio books as a child, growing up to become one of Australia's most well-known TV and radio journalists (R)

Dr Aaron Camens studies the fossilised skeletons, footprints and soft tissue left behind by strange, alien-like behemoths, to work out how they lived, and what, or who, killed them

Artist Michael Kelly's younger sister was born with intellectual disabilities in the 1950s, and went into care. The family lost touch with her until Michael decided it was time to find her again.Michael Kelly has been an artist all his life. When he was a young boy living in Brisbane, his younger sister was born with intellectual disabilities. She was institutionalised and the family eventually lost contact with her.That severed connection was a wound for the whole family, and followed Michael where he went.Over the years he’s lived in family squats, stayed in a decommissioned mental asylum, and in a van.Eventually he made his way to art school, where everything fell into place.All this time, he’s kept meticulous sketchbooks as a way to keep track of his artwork, dreams, ideas and sketches of a changing world. And his path back to his sister.Further informationMichael Kelly has an retrospective exhibition at the Frances Keevil Gallery in Double Bay, running from 7 August to 25 August.You can also see a selection of Michael's sketchbooks in the State Library's Amaze Gallery, until 1 December 2024. Learn more about that exhibition here.To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Janty Blair is a Butchulla, Mununjhali and Woppaburra woman who, after a lifetime of nursing and midwifery, discovered her funny bone in her late 50s, after a serendipitous Bumble date

Dr John Paterson grew up in a tin hut in rural Darwin. He helped hold it down during Cyclone Tracy and has taken care of it so it still stands today. John learnt many lessons in that tin hut, which have followed him through life

When his elders named him Bindi, David Hudson had no idea his future would involve performing with his didgeridoo at the Taj Mahal, or a role in a film starring Marlin Brando (Content warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners: this episode contains the name of someone who has died.)Western Yalanji and Ewamian man David Bindi Hudson is a performing artist and musician.His parents were born on Mona Mona mission, near Cairns.David's mother didn't like being told what to do, and so in 1956 she walked off the mission with her three children, and made it 18km away to look for work at a local pub.Her ingenuity led the family to Spring Creek Station, where David’s elders taught him traditional dance and named him Bindi, which means "always looking forward".Since then, David has toured the world with his didgeridoo, playing to huge audiences in the Acropolis, the Taj Mahal and China's Forbidden City.He also played a part in a disastrous Hollywood movie, which gave him the chance to bring Marlon Brando home to have dinner with his Mum.Further informationRead more about David's autobiographical stage show, From Campfire to Stage Light.Content warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners: this episode contains the name of someone who has died.To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Yuwaalaraay writer, storyteller and performer, Nardi Simpson of the Stiff Gins talks about her life, art and the meaning of country (R)

Ken Wyatt was born at Roelands Mission in outback WA, where his mother had been taken as a small girl, after she was stolen from her family. More than 60 years later, he became Australia's first Indigenous Minister for Indigenous AustraliansKen Wyatt was born at Roelands Mission in outback WA, where his mother had been taken as a small girl, after she was stolen from her family. More than 60 years later, he became Australia's first Indigenous Minister for Indigenous AustraliansKen Wyatt has Yamatji, Wongi and Noongar ancestry. He came into the world as a premature baby on a mission south of Perth called Roelands Farm, run by the Protestant Church. From 1938 to 1973, Roelands housed more than 500 forcibly removed Aboriginal children from all over Western Australia. One of those children was Ken's mother Mona, who was separated from family at just 4 years old.Mona married Don and they built a life for themselves away from Roelands, in Nannine, a railway fettler’s camp in remote WA. That's where Ken grew up, as one of 10 children. Ken went on to enjoy a fulfilling life as a teacher, and he was in his fifties when he decided to have a tilt at politics.He joined the Liberal Party, and in 2010 he was elected as the first Aboriginal member of the House of Representatives. Wearing a kangaroo skin cloak given to him by Noongar elders in Perth, Ken made his first speech in Federal Parliament, about his extraordinary journey from Roelands to Canberra.To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Paula Quintela was seven years old when she witnessed Augusto Pinochet’s coup d’etat in Chile. She broke up the darkness by becoming her country's champion ocean swimmer and an artist

Playwright Alana Valentine on the story of the radical minister, Ted Noffs, who married thousands of couples who weren’t accepted anywhere else, including Alana’s own mum

Since she was a child, Michelle Johnston has tried to satisfy her insatiable curiosity about the world and the people in it. Most recently, her questions took her to a mysterious part of Russia called Dagestan, where mountains claw at the sky and time stands still

Mark Pitts needed to find peace after a hard life in the rugby and boxing worlds. So he went back to the airstrip that his aviator grandfather made famous when he flew home from England for love, breaking a world record in the process