Conversations

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Richard's Most Memorable Guests — Ross Gittins Jan 01, 2025

Show notes

Conversations is bringing you a summer treat — a collection of Richard's most memorable guests through out the years.

Ross Gittins is one of Australia’s most popular newspaper columnists. For five decades, he has explained the inner workings of the Australian economy to readers in plain English through his three weekly columns in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Ross Gittins is one of Australia’s most popular newspaper columnists.

For five decades, Ross has explained the inner workings of the Australian economy to readers in plain English through his three weekly columns in the Sydney Morning Herald.

He's often contacted by readers who tell him he's helped them understand interest rates, negative gearing, and other facets of the economy that would have once been privy to only those in power.

For Ross, his touchstone is his own early life story.

His outlook on life was largely formed by his frugal, hard-working parents, who were Salvation Army officers who lived through the Great Depression.

This episode of Conversations contains discussions about family, Australian history, journalism, economics, the depression, Salvation Army, religion, Christianity, politics, finance, writing, newspapers, editors, publishing, mortgages, interest rates, home ownership, investments, income, Australian society, baby boomers, young people, generational wealth, inheritance, negative gearing, flexible work, job market, women at work, employment, workplace, childcare, cost of living, real estate.

Richard's Most Memorable Guests — Gregory Smith Dec 31, 2024

Show notes

Conversations is bringing you a summer treat — a collection of Richard's most memorable guests through out the years.

After a cruel and abusive childhood and an adulthood full of unemployment and homelessness, Gregory Smith decided to step out of society and into the solitary life of a hermit, living in the elements in a forest in Northern NSW.

Gregory is an academic in the School of Arts and Social Sciences at Southern Cross University in New South Wales.

He recently completed his PhD highlighting the experiences of children raised in institutional care.

For much of his adulthood Gregory was homeless; and by his own admission, a 'do not approach' figure.

For ten years he lived as a hermit in a forest in northern NSW, catching his own food.

After decades of life on the margins, he now has a place of his own, and is a popular teacher.

Gregory's childhood, in and out of orphanages, boys' homes and youth detention centres, made getting a foothold in regular society a massive challenge.

This episode of Conversations contains discussions about child abuse, orphanages, boys homes, child psychology, sociopaths, homelessness, unemployment, hermit, solitude, forests, rainforest, New South Wales, NSW, recluse, sociology, university, relationships, memoirs, autobiographies, Southern Cross Univerity, PHD, Order of Australia.

Richard's Most Memorable Guests — Uncle Jack Charles Dec 30, 2024

Show notes

Conversations is bringing you a summer treat — a collection of Richard's most memorable guests through out the years.

Uncle Jack was forcibly removed from his mother as a baby and denied his Aboriginality. A one-off trip to Fitzroy connected him with a family he didn’t know about, and promptly landed him in jail.

Jack died in 2022.

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In a career spanning more than half a century, Uncle Jack Charles used the stage to share painful and personal truths about being a Stolen Generations survivor.

Uncle Jack was born in Melbourne in 1943. He was taken from his mother as a baby and ended up in Box Hill Boys' Home where he was abused and told he was an orphan.

It was only towards the end of his life that Uncle Jack found out who his father was, finally knowing himself as a Wiradjuri man, as well as Boon Wurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Woiwurrung and Yorta Yorta.

Uncle Jack's early life had been defined by addiction, theft and twenty-two stints in jail.

But he forged a legacy as a giant of the arts, a tireless advocate for youth in detention and a trailblazing advocate for a fairer Australia.

This episode of Conversations contains discussions about Aboriginal identity, Indigenous history, stolen generation, orphanages, boys homes, youth offending, foster families, birth mothers, family relationships, Lilydale High School, Victoria, Melbourne, Fitzroy, youth detention, home invasion, robbery, acting, performing, theatre, film, Sydney Opera House, Box Hill Boys' Home, orphans, sisters, brothers, siblings, addiction, heroin, jail, racism, advocacy, David Gulpilil, initiation, Bennalong.

Richard's Most Memorable Guests — Sandy MacKinnon Dec 27, 2024

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Conversations is bringing you a summer treat — a collection of Richard's most memorable guests through out the years.

When Sandy Mackinnon set of through the waterways of England towards Gloucester in a Mirror dinghy, he little imagined he would find himself crossing the English Channel, the river systems of Europe, and eventually the Black Sea, on an adventure full of friendly strangers, amazing scenery and even a threat to his life.

Listen here to Sarah's Conversation with Sandy MacKinnon

Sandy was teaching at a school in the English countryside when he sold almost all his belongings and set off in a Mirror dinghy, intending to sail as far as Gloucester.

He enjoyed his river voyage so much, he decided to keep going.

Sandy's journey took him through locks, across the English Channel, and eventually into the great river systems of Europe, and then, the Black Sea.

Along the way he encountered strangers who showed him great kindness, and some who threatened to kill him.

This episode of Conversations contains discussions about England, English countryside, boarding schools, teaching, travel, European travel, sailing, boating, paddling, rowing, canals, locks, the English Channel, France, Romania, rivers, the Black Sea, the Thames, autobiographies, memoirs, authors, writing, adventure books, yachts, The Unlikely Voyage of the Jack de Crow, Pith helmets, small boats.

Richard's Most Memorable Guests — Elizabeth Chong Dec 26, 2024

Show notes

Conversations is bringing you a summer treat — a collection of Richard's most memorable guests through out the years.

Elizabeth Chong has spent the last 90 years teaching Australian's the delights of cooking real authentic Chinese food.

Chef, author and teacher Elizabeth Chong was born in China's Guangdong Province in 1931.

When her heavily pregnant mother was expelled from Victoria under the White Australia Policy in the 1920s, the whole family returned to China.

Years later her family returned and a young Elizabeth was free to roam the closed Queen Victoria Market on Sundays with her siblings.

With fresh, fragrant and plentiful Chinese food at home, Elizabeth didn’t cook her first meal until she was married.

Since then, she's made it her mission to raise the profile of Chinese cuisine, something she's done by teaching more than 37,000 people how to cook.

This episode of Conversations contains discussions about China, Chinese culture, immigration, migrants, gold rush, Australian history, multiculturalism, white Australia policy, racism, Chinese cooking, Chinese food, Chinese cuisine, dim sums, Queen Victoria markets, Melbourne, marriage, relationships, parents, mothers, fathers, daughters, family history, genealogy, cooking school, cooking teachers, chefs, cooks, family, relationships, community education, adult education, lifelong learning,

Richard's Most Memorable Guests — William McInnes Dec 25, 2024

Show notes

Conversations is bringing you a summer treat — a collection of Richard's most memorable guests through out the years.

William McInnes is a much-loved Australian actor and an author, whose childhood in the sunny Queensland left him fluent in the peculiar, funny and colourful words and phrases unique to Australian English. Over the years, he's continued to collect them to celebrate how much they say about who we really are.

William McInnes’ Stories of Fatherhood William McInnes on life after the death of his wife, Sarah Watt

This episode of Conversations contains discussions about Australian slang, colloquial language, Australian dialect, Seachange, Yeah Nah! A celebration of life and the words that make us who we are, books, writing, author, Australianisms, colloquialisms, acting, television, actor, performing arts, theatre, NCIS Sydney, Australiana, Australian culture, Australian history, language, linguistics.

Richard's Most Memorable Guests — Shaun Christie David Dec 24, 2024

Show notes

Conversations is bringing you a summer treat — a collection of Richard's most memorable guests through out the years.

Shaun Christie David grew up eating the Sri-Lankan recipes his mother brought with her from Sri Lanka. After a life-change trip to his parent's homeland, Shaun left a successful career in finance to open a social enterprise restaurant, Colombo Social, giving jons to refugees and serving food from his mother's cookbook.

Shaun Christie-David's family migrated to Australia during the Sri Lankan civil war.

The family's three sons grew up in a house full of home-cooked food and love, with dishes like 48-hour Mudcrab on the menu at Christmas.

In 2019, Shaun set up Colombo Social, a restaurant giving jobs to refugees and people seeking asylum, serving food straight from his mum's cookbook.

Starting the restaurant was a sharp turn in his own life.

Shaun had left Sydney's Western suburbs at 18 determined to make a lot of money in the finance world.

But at 28, at the pinnacle of his career in banking, a trip to Sri Lanka changed everything.

This episode of Conversations contains discussions about immigration, migrants, Sri Lanka, multiculturalism, childhood memories, cooking, family, mothers, fathers, sons, siblings, brothers, high school, racism, finance, success, money, careers, mudcrabs, Christmas, chicken biryani, spices, recipes, traditions, culture, Sri Lankans, restaurants, social enterprise, charity, refugees, asylum seekers, support, disabilities, homelessness, unemployment, support, Plate It Forward, Colombo Social, Kabul Social, Sydney, NSW, Afganistan, Ukraine, purpose, giving.

Richard's Most Memorable Conversations — Magda Szubanski Dec 23, 2024

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Conversations is bringing you a summer treat - a collection of Richard's most memorable guests through out the years. This time it's Magda Szubanski.At the height of her successful career, behind closed doors, Magda was coming to terms with the past of her Polish-born father, whom she loved dearly, and who was an assassin in his early life.

Magda is well known for her comic performances across film and television, and is perhaps most beloved by Australians for her role as Sharon in Kath & Kim.

But at the height of her successful career, Magda was navigating a more difficult journey, to integrate the disparate parts of her life. Most challenging was coming to terms with the past of her Polish-born father, whom she loved dearly, and who was an assassin in his early life.

So Magda wrote a memoir, Reckoning, which delved into her father's complicated story and how it fit into her own distinct journey, from a child migrant to one of Australia's favourite comedians.

Richard recorded this conversation with Magda Szubanski in 2015, at a Wheeler Centre event at Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre.

This episode of Conversations contains discussions about comedy, theatre, improvisation, university, Poland, Polish, Scotland, Scottish, England, immigration, migrants, Australia, families, family relationships, fathers, mothers, parents, siblings, Second World War, World War 2, World War II, assassins, Resistance, guerillas, Nazis, Germany, Germans, autobiographies, secrets, family secrets, family history, extended family, Babe, actress, acting, film, Fast Forward, television, comedians, Sharon, Kath and Kim.

Best of 2024 — Bhawani O'Brien Dec 22, 2024

Show notes

Reflecting on a year of phenomenal guests, we are bringing you a selection of the Best Conversations of 2024.

The child of doctors, Bhawani followed her parents footsteps into medical school without a second thought. But after the dissatisfaction of decades as a GP, Bhawani discovered the field of voluntary assisted dying and it changed the course of her life.

Help and support is always available

You can call Lifeline 24 hours a day on 13 11 14

Bhawani O'Brien grew up in Malaysia with Sri Lankan parents, both of whom were doctors.

Bhawani was also expected to become a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer or an accountant. Luckily for her, she adored her father, and followed his footsteps into medical school without protest.

But after decades working as a GP, Bhawani had lost her purpose and also her beloved father, who died back at home in Malaysia while Bhawani was stuck behind locked borders in Western Australia.

Not long after his death, she found a random pamphlet in her pigeonhole at work.

It was about voluntary assisted dying, which became legal in WA in 2021, and it changed the course of Bhawani's professional and personal life.

She immediately started her training as a voluntary assisted dying practitioner, and has since helped 100 people in their dying moments.

This episode of Conversations contains discussion about death, palliative care, voluntary assisted dying, VAD, medical practioners, doctors, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Australia, Australian Medical System, Medicare, Covid, border lockdowns, Western Australia, families, family relationships, grief, grieving, mourning, funerals, cancer, motorneuron disease, alzheimers and dementia, migration, immigration, multiculturalism, racism, medical fraternity, terminal illness, living wakes, saying goodbye, good deaths.

Best of 2024 — Ruth Shaw Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

Reflecting on a year of phenomenal guests, we are bringing you a selection of the Best Conversations of 2024.

Ruth Shaw runs a collection of three tiny bookshops at the southern tip of New Zealand's South Island. Even more than the books on her shelves, Ruth's life has been a high adventure full of danger, tears, heartbreak and love.

Help and support is always available

You can call Lifeline 24 hours a day on 13 11 14.

Ruth Shaw runs a collection of three tiny bookstores at the southern tip of New Zealand's South Island.

In them, she sells books of adventure, drama, tragedy and romance.

But many of these stories pale in comparison to the colourful life Ruth has lived.

In the decades before she became a bookseller at the end of the world, Ruth sailed the seas, she was attacked by pirates, she deserted the navy, she played cards to survive, she had her heart broken and had it mended by a special man in gumboots.

Content Warning: this episode of Conversation contains discussion of sexual assault, forced adoption and infant death.

It also explores military service, the Navy, teen pregnancy, family relationships, fishing, fishing boats, romantic relationships, publishing industry, New Zealand, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, travelling, ocean travel, pirates, card sharks, card games, gambling, guns, international travel, Catholicism, Catholic Church, Cardinals.

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