Best Australian Survivor History Podcasts (2024)

1
Play School's Noni Hazlehurst — Australia's TV mum 51:12

10h ago51:12

51:12

Beloved Australian actor, Noni Hazlehurst looks back on her life on stage and screen.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Kasey Chambers on how not to be a d***head 49:54

2d ago49:54

49:54

The country music star remembers a childhood spent roaming the Nullarbor Plain, and the number one lesson she learned from her fatherBy Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Into the wild with Gina Chick 52:00

5h ago52:00

52:00

Gina Chick, the winner of Alone Australia on her life as a creative, outrageous, nature-loving misfit who grew up to live through great depths of love, and grief (CW: discusses the death of a child)By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Shakespeare's stories aren't boring — we are teaching them wrong way 49:06

5h ago49:06

49:06

Irish journalist and author, Fintan O'Toole on how the Victorians changed the meaning of Shakespeare's plays, and how we can bring them back to lifeBy Australian Broadcasting Corporation

151
How Tolstoy and Chekhov schooled George Saunders on life's great lessons 49:42

1d ago49:42

49:42

Writer George Saunders on how famous short stories by writers like Chekhov, Tolstoy, Turgenev and Gogol are like miniature models of the world and how they can teach us to transcend our own limitations (R)By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
The unexpected plot twist: how a solo hiker stayed alive after shattering her pelvis in Joshua Tree National Park 50:48

4d ago50:48

50:48

Claire Nelson hadn't told anyone where she was going, and her phone lost signal shortly into her hike. As an experienced bushwalker, she never dreamed an adventure would turn out like this (R)By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
The unexpected plot twist: the story of how suicide survivor Oceane, who became a beloved midwife 52:36

5d ago52:36

52:36

At the age of 18, Oceane Campbell tried to take her own life. She survived and fought her way back into life, becoming a midwife and a mother of three (CW: discussion of suicide, please take care when listening) (R)By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
The unexpected plot twist: The story of Toni Jordan's lucky life 52:24

6d ago52:24

52:24

Toni Jordan grew up working in a T.A.B. with her cyclonic mother, and going to the greyhound races. Then she grew up to become a best-selling novelist (R)By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
The unexpected plot twist: The tech nerd who changed course to help the homeless 50:54

7d ago50:54

50:54

Jon Owen's mum enrolled him in a computer science degree at University - expecting him to build a flourishing career; which he did. It just wasn't the one that everyone expected (R)By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
The unexpected plot twist: From the David Jones food hall to Opera Australia 50:06

8d ago50:06

50:06

After a stint being homeless and living in his car, Stephen Smith was working at David Jones Food Hall when one of his colleagues noticed his remarkable singing voice. A few years later, he became a tenor on the operatic world stage (R)By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
An odyssey across Australia — how 11,000 sheep were walked from Victoria into the outback 49:00

11d ago49:00

49:00

In 1882, thousands of sheep set off from a property in Western Victoria. Their destination was a huge station in the Northern Territory, land which a sheep had never set foot on. To get there, these animals and their drover battled drought, flood, famine and doubtBy Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Antibiotic resistant superbugs and how to fight them 50:12

12d ago50:12

50:12

Professor Ian Henderson has spent his career searching for new treatments in the fight against antibiotic resistance superbugsBy Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
A life spent making — ‘Mr Millimetre’s’ memories 50:42

13d ago50:42

50:42

Jeffrey Broadfield has made building his life. It has taken him around the world, and given him a place to belong. Jeffrey Broadfield is a master maker who builds houses to his clients’ wishes and quirks, using carpentry to turn recycled Australian hardwood into dream homes. It’s a craft Jeffrey says is dying. He grew up in Griffith, NSW, where he …

1
Fish sperm sausages, and eyeball icecream: the Josh Niland story 52:00

14d ago52:00

52:00

From using fish eyes in icecream, and not wasting the liver, to creating recipes with fish sperm, chef Josh Niland on his mission to revolutionise how we cook and eat fish. (R)By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
The architects of ancient Arabia – speaking to the sky 51:35

15d ago51:35

51:35

The deserts of Saudi Arabia are still holding on to many ancient secrets, hidden inside burial tombs and mysterious monumental structures called mustatils. Dr Hugh Thomas is on an archaeological mission to solve some of these mysteries. Hugh Thomas is an archaeologist who is fascinated by ancient mortuary practices and the secrets still hidden in t…

1
The epic highs and lows of Ji's life on the trampoline 53:06

22d ago53:06

53:06

Ji Wallace was at the top of his career as a gymnast and acrobat when a terrible injury and surprising diagnosis brought him back down to earth, temporarily. Ji was an energetic, only child growing up on a bush block in suburban Brisbane when his parents brought home a trampoline to keep him occupied. Ji took to it so quickly, he learnt how to flip…

1
Treating dementia — a new way of caring for the elderly 52:30

19d ago52:30

52:30

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.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
The story of James Earl Jones, and his legacy 38:01

21d ago38:01

38:01

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)By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Epic sharks — the ancient origins of the monsters of the sea 50:06

23d ago50:06

50:06

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. This episode of Conversations explores science, origin stories, ancient history, sharks, palaeontology, the ocean, climate change, megalodon, hunting and predators.…

1
Words of love — writing stories of Aboriginal land 48:10

22d ago48:10

48:10

Author and professor Anita Heiss on her parents' story of romance, and how she brings true history alive in her workBy Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
My brother's death — writing the story of a family's grief and loss 52:24

25d ago52:24

52:24

For decades, Gideon Haigh and his mum were the only two people who really knew what happened on Jaz's last night. This year, it all poured out.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Quitting alcohol – the story of how Seana got sober 53:30

26d ago53:30

53:30

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 hi…

1
How dogs think — and what they think of us 49:48

27d ago49:48

49:48

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 …

1
My Stolen Generations story: how Brenda was taken from her family, twice 46:24

28d ago46:24

46:24

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 healing Wiradjuri 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…

1
The story of the melancholy spy 53:00

1M ago53:00

53:00

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 …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Australian Survivor History Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Conversations

ABC listen

1
Australian Survivor Archives

Ben Waterworth & Matt Dyson

1
Yiddish in Sydney

Plus61JMedia and the Jewish Museum of Australia

1
Partnered with a Survivor: David Mandel and Ruth Reymundo Mandel

Ruth Reymundo Mandel & David Mandel

1
Play School's Noni Hazlehurst — Australia's TV mum 51:12

1
Kasey Chambers on how not to be a d***head 49:54

1
Into the wild with Gina Chick 52:00

1
Shakespeare's stories aren't boring — we are teaching them wrong way 49:06

151
How Tolstoy and Chekhov schooled George Saunders on life's great lessons 49:42

1
The unexpected plot twist: how a solo hiker stayed alive after shattering her pelvis in Joshua Tree National Park 50:48

1
The unexpected plot twist: the story of how suicide survivor Oceane, who became a beloved midwife 52:36

1
The unexpected plot twist: The story of Toni Jordan's lucky life 52:24

1
The unexpected plot twist: The tech nerd who changed course to help the homeless 50:54

1
The unexpected plot twist: From the David Jones food hall to Opera Australia 50:06

1
An odyssey across Australia — how 11,000 sheep were walked from Victoria into the outback 49:00

1
Antibiotic resistant superbugs and how to fight them 50:12

1
A life spent making — ‘Mr Millimetre’s’ memories 50:42

1
Fish sperm sausages, and eyeball icecream: the Josh Niland story 52:00

1
The architects of ancient Arabia – speaking to the sky 51:35

1
The epic highs and lows of Ji's life on the trampoline 53:06

1
Treating dementia — a new way of caring for the elderly 52:30

1
The story of James Earl Jones, and his legacy 38:01

1
Epic sharks — the ancient origins of the monsters of the sea 50:06

1
Words of love — writing stories of Aboriginal land 48:10

1
My brother's death — writing the story of a family's grief and loss 52:24

1
Quitting alcohol – the story of how Seana got sober 53:30

1
How dogs think — and what they think of us 49:48

1
My Stolen Generations story: how Brenda was taken from her family, twice 46:24

1
The story of the melancholy spy 53:00

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