Australian Histories Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep 47 Final Readings - Henry Lawson EXTRA: Australian History Feb 12, 2021

Show notes

As an appendix to Episode 44, Henry Lawson, today's episode presents two final readings, two more humorous offerings. We read a Banjo Paterson poem, called 'The Man from Ironbark' which I mentioned in Ep 44, and then a short story by Henry Lawson, titled 'The Loaded Dog'.

(23 mins)

Ep 46 Debate Poems - Henry Lawson EXTRA: Australian History Jan 29, 2021

Show notes

This episode is an appendix to Episode 44- Henry Lawson. We read poems that contributed to the 'Bulletin Debate', discussed in the earlier episode. We include Banjo Paterson's 'Clancy of the Overflow', 'In Defense of the Bush' & 'An answer to various Bards', as well as Henry Lawson's 'Up the Country' & 'The City Bushman'.

(26 mins)

Ep 45 Drovers Wife - Henry Lawson EXTRA: Australian History Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

Following Ep 44 on Henry Lawson, this episode will be a reading of Henry Lawson's short story (or sketch), The Drover's Wife, published in the Bulletin, July 1892. Please listen to Ep 44 first, for the life & times of Henry Lawson.

(20 mins)

Ep 44 Henry Lawson: Australian History Dec 30, 2020

Show notes

Henry Lawson was a 'bush poet' and writer from the 1880s-1890s. One of a number of writers that were focusing on the Australian experience and fostering a pride and understanding of the emerging Australian identity. Today's episode looks at Henry's complicated life, and the times in which he was writing.

(62 mins)

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Ep 43 Shipwreck & first contact: Australian History Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

In 1796, the Calcutta merchants Campbell & Clark, sent a boat load of attractive goods, including much needed home and personal wares, and much desired rum, to sell to the isolated people in the new penal colony at Port Jackson (now current day Sydney).

The Sydney Cove foundered and the men were obliged to take refuge on Preservation Island. Some of the crew continued on, in a longboat & on foot, to raise the alarm & affect a rescue. This month we retell the story of their epic journey.

(70 mins)

Ep 42 Snowy Hydro Scheme - Pt 5 - Completion: Australian History Oct 26, 2020

Show notes

This episode concludes the series exploring the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme; the vast hydro electric, and irrigation project, that began in 1949 and was under construction for 25 years.

As well as providing much needed electricity and irrigation water to a soon to be booming Australia, the international workforce helped usher in the era of Multiculturalism, and the project developed engineering expertise and pride, at a time of great optimism in Australia.

(52 mins)

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Ep 41 Snowy Hydro Scheme - Pt 4 - Working environments & safety: Australian History Sep 28, 2020

Show notes

Today we turn our attention the workers' arrangements. At the peak of construction, over 1959/60, there were 7300 people employed on the project. So that’s a lot of people to keep fed & watered, and entertained.

But it was hard and sometimes dangerous work, so we consider some of the human costs on the project too.

(56 mins)

Brilliant stories from Australia’s past! www.australianhistoriespodcast.com.au

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Ep 40 Snowy Hydro Scheme - Pt 3 - Contractors & townships: Australian History Aug 24, 2020

Show notes

The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme began construction at Guthega, with a Norwegian contractor, and before too long, power was being delivered to the people.

Workers and families got used to the new environment and the working conditions as the construction projects multiplied across the project sites, while others had to get used to their relocated townships.

(60 mins)

Brilliant stories from Australia’s past! www.australianhistoriespodcast.com.au

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Ep 39 Snowy Hydro Scheme - Pt 2 - Getting Land & Workers: Australian History Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme was underway. Now they Authority had to acquire the land across the Alps, and recruit a workforce, to survey, plan and construct the many parts of the project; not an easy thing to do in booming post war Australia.

Part 2 gives an overview of the recruitment of workers, the majority coming from various worker schemes and displaced persons camps in Europe. And we learn about the arrangements for compensating and moving the existing landholders to make way for the Snowy Scheme.

(47 mins)

Brilliant stories from Australia’s past! www.australianhistoriespodcast.com.au

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Ep 38 Snowy Hydro Scheme - Pt 1 - Inception: Australian History Jun 29, 2020

Show notes

The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, took nearly 30 years to complete in the post war period, and was an astounding engineering feat. It remains one of the “engineering wonders of the world”. It created thousands of jobs and drove the development of increased home-grown Engineering expertise in large civil projects.

Not without social & environmental costs of course, it brought with it some amazing practical power & water supply developments, and lead the country in embracing varied and valuable cultural influences, from it’s international, often refugee, workforce, recruited in the optimistic and welcoming post war Australia. It’s a great story, and all these drivers and outcomes deserve a bit of reflection. Today's episode will discuss the background and inception of the massive project.

Brilliant stories from Australia’s past! www.australianhistoriespodcast.com.au

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