Radical Australia: Recent Episodes
Joe Toscano and Kelly Whitworth
Listen in as host Joe Toscano yarns with a different guest each week about their experience in movements and campaigns for progressive social change.
- Thomas Cooper, public housing activistContacts for more information:tom77cooper.gmail.cominkerman@44fu.org (~ website developed by R-Cu Tran, who grew up in Carlton public housing)
- Public relations consultant and Socialist Alliance candidate for the 2026 Victorian state election.
Jan Van Dalfsen is an early 3CR supporter; a credentialed activist and educator.He was one of six tennants living upstairs at 21 Smith Street, while the Walker Press operated downstairs. The building was eventually sold to 3CR. Listen to an engaging account of publishing activism that gave way to the broadcaster you now know and love.
Maree is a longtime 3CR presenter with Latin American Update and Unitarian Half Hour.She speaks multiple languages, is an activist for Cuba.
Di Cousens is a poet, photographer, Spoken Word presenter at 3CR and Order of Australia medal recepient.
This episode features Suad Rejk, a Sudanese Australian immigrant who strives for success in every one of her fields. An active member of the Merri-bek community, Suad has called Australia home for nearly two decades and speaks both Arabic and English. Through her role as a Community Connector, she is passionate about giving back to the community that has supported her and her family over the years. Dedicated to helping people feel a sense of belonging, confidence, and support, Suad works closely with community members, particularly newly arrived families to connect them with local resources and opportunities. In this conversation, she shares her experiences, her commitment to strengthening community ties, and the importance of fostering understanding across cultures.
youtube @tonymillmanWeb www.tonymillman.comtonymillman.bandcamp.comInsta @tony.millmanFace @tony.sklmc
Strong: 1800 959 563 SEXUAL ASSAULT/VIOLENCE1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732 (1800respect.org.au)Safe Steps: 1800 015 188 (safesteps.org.au)FullStop Australia: 1800 385 578 (fullstop.org.au) ALCOHOL/DRUGSDirectLine: 1800 888 236 (directline.org.au)Turning Point: 1800 250 015 (turningpoint.org.au)
- Artist of the illustrated book: Jacob and the cassowary by Gibson Suu English and history teacher at Academy of Mary Immaculate College in Fitzroy, oldest girls secondary school in Victoria (1857) AFL coach, Monash VIC
s inner north. She is a member of The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP), an international network of independent not-for-profit grass-roots volunteer groups offering experiential workshops on self-awareness and creative conflict transformation in prisons, schools, and the wider community. Shelly Van Derwerff is a practising occupational therapist.
s songs at: climatechoirmelbourne.wordpress.comJoin or chat: climatechoirmelbourne@gmail.comOR @climatechoirmelbourne
- Jeannie Erceg, Public housing tennant and activist* www.barakbeacon.com - BAY VIEWS FOR ALL
Sofie Prints is one of Melbourne’s best comedians. Thank you for Sophie for coming in on the program and sharing their story.
Endie Van Binsbergen talks about her book The Stowaway, from Sorong to Rotterdam.Sampari Korwa sings in his band Oceanikz. You can find him on Instagram, Spotify and YouTube.
ScreenwriterAnd researcher, Co-writer of The Dismissal, TV mini-series that screened in 1983 Socials,Facebook: Sally GibsonX: sally_gibson1Instagram: sally.gibson.7568
Eve ScarfePeace Brigade Central AmericaLife Long Activist for Peace and JusticeRelevant piece of text says: Mercenaries Evelin Mery Scarfe, of Great Britain, and Stephanie Victoria Groebel of United States, were taking refuge in CRIPDES (Christian Committee for Displaced People of El Salvador) when arrested.The newspaper El Diario de Hoy (Today’s News) dated 21 April 1989.
Joe Toscano interviews the inspiring Brad Homewood and Violet Coco. https://www.instagram.com/bradhomewoodhttps://www.instagram.com/violet_coco_canary
Joe Toscano interviews Ben WintleOMAZONE Website - http://www.omazone.com.auOmazone on Bandcamp - https://omazone.bandcamp.comYou Tube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXReIy0V6kjc8au_FYnN4gSoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/omazone01/sets/enjoy-the-revolutionInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/omazonemusic/?hl=enFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/omazonemusicSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3VAARfVOFTOT12UIUD22eX?si=TfwyCDduQc2auUD7fcFIDA
Linda Marks is an environmental activist and previous presenter with 3CR's popular longstanding program on nuclear, peace and energy issues - The Radioactive Show. She's a retired secondary teacher and and life long unionist, now retired member of the Australian Education Union.
Lifelong trade unionist born in Melbourne in 1952. Australian Telecommunication Employees Association now called the Communications Workers Union. Ian, an extra-parliamentary activist for many years is making the most of his retirement.
3CR's royal family member, our very own Queen of Training, Leanne McLean, joins us on the show this week. We got Leanne on to talk to us about her health journey the last few years since she returned from the traditional cheese makers in Georgia, just before the pandemic. Leanne's life changed significantly at that point and she educates us on what her cancer journey has been like the last few years. Queen Leanne McLean. We love you and thank-you for gracing us in the studio this week.3CR friends in the courtyard this week (l-r): Joe Malignaggi, Kelly Whitworth, Leanne McLean and Joe Toscano
'Life and Politics is bumpy', so says Janet McCalman AC, a super smart lady born in 1948 who has been a lifelong Labor Party supporter and fabulous historian-writer here in Melbourne. Janet's books include 'Struggle Town' (1984), 'Journeyings', (1993) a story about class and education along the 67 tram, to 'Sex and Suffering'. Her family has French roots in North Africa and WWI created a big trauma line through it. Her parents met through the Communist Party. Janet came on, in part, to let us know about the Labor Academy, an independent group supporting traditional labor values. She says Labor people are terrific human beings. The Academy's latest little red book is '12 things you need to know about Labor'. It was published in January this year. It's highly accessible and includes chapters like 'Doing stuff together: collectivism and the social contract'. We look forward to taking a look at that and we thank Janet very much for joining us this week.laboracademyvic.au
She's finding ways to keep culture and dreaming alive in an urban environment. She's nothing short of blak royalty. Joining us in the house this week is the one and only, Shiralee Hood: young sports star turned actress and storyteller. Wowee. Tune in for this first installment of the life of the young girl born in the year the Yarra exploded under Melbourne, who went on to be a little gun basketballer, to an amazing actress, course designer and all-round deadly legend. We can't wait to hear the rest of Shiralee's story when she returns real soon, just in time for her show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Check out the link for those details. Thank-you, Shiralee, for this first chat with us on Radical Australia!yirramboi.com.au/program/blakyard-one-night-stand-with-shiralee-hood-and-friends
Aprilia Seseray is a super smart auditor who volunteers at the West Papua office in Docklands. She was born among mountains, lakes and forest fruits and then at some stage she moved to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, for studies. It was a totally different culture, different language and different food from her homeland. Aprilia was bullied every single day throughout high school, but she succeeded despite the odds, and now has a Masters of Auditing from Monash. It was fascinating to hear her story. Thank-you for joining us this week, Aprilia.
Greer McGearey is the president of Seahorse Victoria, a safe social support group for trans people, and when she is not doing that she is the host of Conversations on Bent TV, Channel 31. Greer was born in Deniliquin. Her father was a dental technician. She was one of 5 boys and was an athlete, running all the distances. Greer was a public servant for over 17 years in the Department of Civil Aviation and raised 4 children. She started transitioning at 50 with the help of both Seahorse and the Monash Gender Clinic. We loved having Greer on the show this week. We hope you enjoy our conversation with her. Thank-you, Greer.https://ctvplus.org.au/series/bent-tv/https://seahorsevic.com.au/
Sirani McNeill is passionate about disability governance and is a current board member with Disability Justice Australia. She has formerly worked with Women With Disabilities Victoria and the Disabilities Resources Centre. Sirani says that disability organisations need to do a better job of hiring disability peers to properly shape their governance and policies. Going back in time, Sirani started out her life adopted from Thailand at a very young age by her parents who were French and Kiwi. She has lived in Paris and New Zealand. In her life post-high school, Sirani has encountered many instances of bro culture in the tech industry and corporate environment as she has moved from internship to internship and a lot of job hopping, a common experience as a person with a disability. Sirani is deaf and on the autism spectrum. She loves her Cat, Bella, and is really into cyber security. In 2024 she contributed to 3CR's International Day of People With Disability (Employment Difficulties for Disabled People). We wish Sirani well in all her endeavours and thank her for joining us on the show this week.3cr.org.au/disabilityday2024Disability Justice Australia - dja.org.auWomen with Disabilities Victoria - wdv.org.auDisability Resources Centre - drc.org.auSirani and Joe chatting in Studio One at 3CR.Sirani at 3CR.
Madison Moffat is our latest guest in the squeaky chair and we are very pleased to have her. Madison is a trans activist with Trans Justice Alliance Victoria and has an open letter with three very important demands for Victoria Police. They converge around common police policies and practises. Madison was born in Sydney to a teen Mum and lived in a public housing tower before the family moved to Narrabri. She had a hard time at school, being neuro a-typical, but not really knowing anything about that back then. All she knew was that she was frustrated with the school system as it was. Madison embarked on her own independent life at the age of 16, having a commercial cookery apprencticeship, before moving into the corporate world for many years where she thrived as 'the guru'. There is much to her story there. Madison eventually had a serious breakdown, a crisis of self, if you will. She has eventually found a happier place inside and in the world these days, transitioning during COVID-19, and now flourishing as a trans activist and 3CR broadcaster on Queering the Air. Madison is smart and funny and we really enjoyed talking to her. Thanks, Madison. Keep up the important work you are doing and for inspiring us all!Queering the Air, Sundays 3pm to 4pm, 3cr.org.au/queeringtheairfacebook.com/groups/thetranscreatorfacebook.com/transsistersunited
Keiran Stewart-Assheton is our guest this week and he is the founder of the Black People's Union, a union that set out to represent First Nations tour guides, dancers and ceremonial performers, among others, filling the gaps of existing trade unions. It has grown into something even greater. Keiran's family are Yuin nation, around Nowra (NSW), but he has lived all over, starting out in Adelaide and then quite a bit of time in the ACT. Keiran was born in 1992, played 'all the sports' growing up, and was very successful academically. It was poignant to hear his reflections on the Left here in Naarm and you can catch more of Keiran on his show Yillam, Wednesdays 12pm to 1pm, here on 3CR. If you are in town this Sunday, Keiran encourages you to get down to Camp Sovereignty at 5am for a dawn service to honour those buried there. 3CR will have live coverage of the day, so tune in. We thank Keiran for joining us this week and we wish him well in all the areas of his life. Thank-you, Keiran.blackpeoplesunion.orgYillamin - Wednesdays 12pm to 1pm on 3CRKieran with Uncle Robbie Thorpe in the 3CR courtyard, 2024.
John Tait has just come back from a voyage to New Zealand's sub-Antartic Islands and his knees are paying for it! When not adventuring, John works with James and Em on The Sporting Record, addressing issues of equality and justice through the prism of sport. The issues that arise are seemingly endless. John and friends continue a long tradition of sport shows here on 3CR and you can catch them for the full hour on Thursdays at 3:30pm. Going back a bit, John started life in Balwyn where his parents were neighbours, but progressed to Essendon and played on the highway when it was being built. He went on a long spiritual journey for many years, delving into the Franciscans and Liberation Theology, among other creeds. He gained a theology degree. He held many positions of work within the broad Catholic Church. At some stage, he left that life behind and now dwells in the Church of Kindness. When not busy with radio, John is a second-hand CD seller with a shop in Essendon. You wouldn't be surprised to learn that Essendon is his AFL team as well. Nobody is perfect, but we are very happy to have John at 3CR as he loves radio and we love him. Thank-you for chatting with us this week, John, and we hope your knees recover for your next adventure!The Sporting Record - Thursdays 3:30pm to 4:30pm - 3cr.org.au/thesportingrecord
Jenny Hickinbotham comes from a NAME in the wine industry in Australia, with her father bringing Wolf Blass into the country and seeing the move from sherry drinking to other refreshments like Pineapple Pearl. Her father was what they call a 'plonker'. Jenny grew up in the Barossa Valley and was an outgoing, bossy kid, from all accounts, but she doesn't have that many memories from that time. Jenny started hearing voices in her head from the age of about 27, and years later, with the right support, she was able to trace this back to the trauma she experienced as a young girl on her way home from school. Jenny has done many things in her life, from Teacher's College here and in Europe (hello Earl's Court!), viticulture, creative writing and librarian certification. At some stage, she was also introduced to the world of peer advocacy and met many people like herself. She learnt how to tell her story and listen to others. Jenny has a little red book of stories, song and imagery from her trip by car with her two doggies from Melbourne to Darwin, titled East to West with Fight, Flight, Freeze, and we get to hear a couple of her tracks. We had a lot of laughs with Jenny and she was a fabulous guest. We thank her for sharing some of her story with us this week.jennyhickinbotham.infoJeJenny and Joe in the 3CR courtyard.
In the last of our Summer Specials, we bring you born revolutionary, Nick Southall. He never did stand a chance, born as he was to revolutionary, communist parents in Sheffield, England, where he spent his childhood going to meetings and marches and letterboxing the atrocities of the Vietnam War. Nick says they were 'strange but exciting times'. It was 'politics all the time'. After moving to Wollongong when he was 11, in high school he wanted to bring the school system down and he rebelled, he was a trouble maker. Later on he was a communist party organiser and was with the Out of Workers Union Wollongong as a Full Time Unemployed Activist. Right On, Nick! He also had a life-changing trip to the USSR just before its collapse which makes for an interesting listen and leads us to share news of Nick's first publication by name of 'Disaster Communism and Anarchy in the streets'. It's the little blue book that any good radical activist should have. Thanks very much for joining us on the blower from Wollongong, Nick, and keep up the bloody revolting work!kemblabooks.comrevoltsnow.wordpress.comNick as a young babe on the Right to Work march from Wollongong to Sydney, 1982. Go Nick!Later, in the divvie photo shoot and under arrest at the Port Kembla Copper community picket, 2000.Recently, at community picket of Bissaloy Street, Wollongong, 2024. Nick loves a good picket.
We are delighted to be joined by Erwin Bleskadit this week, a veteran of the Free West Papua movement and OG supporter of the West Papua office here in Docklands ever since it opened its doors in 2014. Erwin was born in Sorong, West Papua, and grew up fishing and using his machete in the jungle. All the kids had machetes. His parents grew corn and cassava. After high school, Erwin moved to the capital and joined the independence struggle, attending protests and walks denouncing trans-migration in his homeland. He and his comrades built a big group. In 2003 he came here as a legal student and stayed with the Sisters of Mercy in Ballarat. He studied English and eventually came to Melbourne. He would really like to become a teacher's aide. Erwin has been singing and dancing for years to promote his culture. He is a current member of the newly-formed West Papuan Community Choir. They are something else. The choir is collecting songs from all the land's tribes and are busy performing at events and fundraisers. You can catch Erwin and friends on the Voice of West Papua, every Tuesday at 6 to 7pm, right here on 3CR. Where else? Thank-you for your contribution to educating us all on the beauty and the struggle of West Papua, Erwin. Thank-you for joining us on the show. Good luck fulfilling your dream of becoming a teacher's aide. We are right behind you.Voice of West Papua - Tuesdays 6 to 7pm on 3CR.
Ann Stanley currently has two 3CR programs on the go and they both touch on important areas of her life story. Ann spent the first 12 years of her life in Glasgow. She was the eldest child and learnt to be a peacemaker early on due to her father's alcoholism. The family then moved all the way down under to Parramatta, perhaps in search of the geographical cure. Soon after, it was off to Franga and she continued to develop her love of English, eventually enrolling at Monash University to study Arts (politics). She has always been interested in what's going on in the world and has always enjoyed radio, being a subscriber to 3CR in the 80's. Ann's early family situation now sees her as a sympathetic and informed broadcaster on Living Free where she can speak to other family members affected by alcoholism. Her other love is permaculture and food localisation. She gets into this on her Sunday show, Local Food Connections. It was lovely meeting Ann and learning about some of her life story. Make sure to catch her shows sometime and here are the details:Living Free I Thursday I 1 to 2pm I 3cr.org.au/livingfreeLocal Food Connections I Sunday I 10 to 10:30am I 3cr.org.au/localfoodconnectionsThanks, Ann!Ann is the jolly one next to Santa in civvies in the 3CR courtyard. Merry Xmas to all our listeners!
This week's guest, Rob Wellington, was a total ring-in, but he ended up being a bit of Australian music royalty, so that was nice. Rob directed videos of some of Australian music's biggest hits of the 80s, from bands like The Models, to Pseudo Echo and John Farnham. He also had his own bands on the go in the punk style, from The Fiction to the International Exiles. A busy, productive person. Rob grew up building sailboats and trampoulines with his engineer father and put on a play called 'The Dean Martian Show' in primary school when he was 10 years old. An early sign of things to come. These days Rob loves K-Mart and plays in The Peptides and 90 BPM. He's a St Kilda fella through and through, leading punters on the 'St Kilda Underground Music Walking Tour' with Fed Negroe, who we hope will be joining us in the new year if he doesn't stand us up again. Thanks for joining us for this week's chat, Rob! It was great learning about your contribution to the Australian music scene. Keep up the great work.Check out Models' 'Big On Love' video on YouTubefacebook.com/PeptidesPunkfacebook.com/NinetyBPMfacebook.com/theeFictIon
We heard about Sean Bedlam through his clever and humorous Instagram account, but we didn't realise he is a fully-fledged comedian, so that explains a lot. Sean reckons he has been masking his autism his whole life, but he only got diagnosed a couple of years ago. It's helped explain himself to himself a lot. Sean has done everything from photo lab work, to darkrooms, metal work to cancer. He also documents the occasional lefty protest. His latest comedic adventure is titled 'I'm autistic, plus I also had cancer'. Something like that. Check out Sean's Insta for better details at @seanbedlam. He's been documenting the Free Palestine Sunday rallies every single week for over a year, just like our beloved 3CR. He's one of the good ones. Thanks so much for joining us, Sean! Keep up the interesting and irreverent stories from the dark side of the city.Sean goofing it with a Mafalda (3CR) papier mache doll in the 3CR hallway. Smoochies!
Alexander Brown joins us on the blower from Wollongong this week. He got his radical history education and began his political activities in the 90's, around the time of Howard's election. Who hasn't heard that before! Alexander has had a strong connection with Japan and its radical activists in his life, ever since he went to high school there for a year. He taught English in Tokyo a little while ago and got to understand the country's radical groups and movement a bit better. His PhD was about radical politics in Tokyo. This was around the time of the Fukushima tragedy. Alexander loves the 'Gong through and through, but he started out life in Albury as a bookworm, a love that has been a great joy in his life. He has a little publishing company called Kembla Books and it was a pleasure speaking with him this week. Keep up your great community spirit, Alexander!alexanderbrown.online I kemblabooks.comAnti-nuclear demonstration in Tokyo, April Fools Day, 2012Alexander with anti-nuclear activists in Tokyo preparing a solidarity banner to send to Australia, 2012Defence Industry Conference speakout, Wollongong, April 2023
Tahlia and Felix join us this week from CUDL: the Community Union Defence League. Since 2019 they have been handing out home-cooked meals to anyone who needs one on the steps of the State Library, every single Sunday from 3pm to 6pm. Call them on 0480 039 002 if you would like to help out or find out more. CUDL began life in Adelaide as support to a CFMEU worker, with the community raising thousands of dollars to pay most of their fine. They now have branches in a few states and areas around Australia and support workers' strikes and pickets. CUDL provides programs of solidarity and support within the capitalist system. They would also like to help other groups set themselves up for progressive activities. Tahlia and Felix were great guests and we had fun chatting with them. As young activists, they also shared with us what they have learned about homelessness in Melbourne on Sunday afternoons during their meal times. Keep up the great work, Tahlia and Felix, and look after yourselves and each other.Follow CUDL on Instagram to find out more: @cudlmelbourne or cudl.org.auTahlia (l) and Felix (r) in Studio One at 3CR.Tahlia and Felix post-chat outside 3CR.Tahlia and Felix back in Studio One at 3CR.
Em Collard is a super talented person who has already won two scholarships in their life to prestigious learning institutions. They have excelled in both sports and music, landing presently at Fitzroy Legal Service doing the important Night Service coordination while studying for their Juris Doctor. That's a law degree when you already have a degree - Em already has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music which they started attending when they were just 17 years old. Em played trumpet there and reckons there was a bit of sexism around, just like they encountered when they were a youth cricket gun. Em hails from Newcastle and was born in 1996. They co-produce The Sporting Record on 3CR, covering sports issues the hosts would generally like to see in the world. Well, they are doing it themselves and winning sports and non-sports fans alike with the issues they discuss, including justice issues in the game. The show is weekly and broadcasts on Thursdays at 3:30pm for the full hour. It's a great effort producing a weekly show of fresh news and we congratulate the team on their second year of broadcasting on 3CR. Em is non-binary as well and they explain what that means for them. All in all, they are a stand-up decent person and a great ornament to the 3CR Christmas tree. Thanks so much for joining us this week, Em. Keep up the great work!www.3cr.org.au/thesportingrecord www.fls.org.au/how-we-can-helpEm stands outside 3CR in front of this year's Radiothon poster: Sound on for Solidarity.
What a treat to have pioneering mathematics and statistics whizz, Alison Harcourt, join us on the show this week with her son, Pierre. Alison is 95 years old this year and only recently retired from lecturing and tutoring, a day before her 90th birthday. She really is an Australian treasure. Alison's life started in Colac where her father was a doctor. She remembers the declaration of World War II on a sunny, Sunday morning. She spent some time at Colac High School and boarding school, which was pretty isolating, before beginning her academic life at the University of Melbourne. Then it was off to the London School of Economics where she was pretty much head-hunted to return home to partner with Professor Ron Henderson on Australia's first statistical study of poverty in Australia, out of which came the Henderson Poverty Line, a standard used by researchers for years to come. Alison never had a problem with mathematics, never any difficulty. Apparently, it runs in the family on the female side. Her life advice is to 'keep going, keep active' and 'keep in touch with others, as much as you can'. We hope you enjoy Alison's story and we thank her and Pierre for joining us on the show this week.Alison's t-shirt reads 'Never underestimate an old woman with a mathematics degree'. Choice.l to r: Joe Toscano, Alison, and son, Pierre, in the 3CR courtyard.https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/alison-harcourt-aohttps://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/research/labour/henderson-poverty-line
David Boarder Giles was born in Melbourne in the year of Reagan's election (1980), but his mother soon whisked him away to Disneyland and conservative California when he was 10. Boo. It took him a while to finally make his way back home. David witnessed many interesting cultural curios during his teenage years in the States, which probably informed his desire to eventually study anthropology and write his PhD about Food Not Bombs when he was an organiser in Seattle. The culmination of these efforts has resulted in a book titled 'A Mass Conspiracy to Feed People'. It features David with his arse hanging out of a dumpster as he dives for a still-good piece of cake. We love it. David has been a bit of a punk and musician, playing in ska bands and the like. He says that Americans have to decide early on how they are going to respond to the ever-present poverty in their country - ignore, blame or get active. David knows quite a bit about homelessness in America, particularly Seattle, and how the city has responded to the crisis over the years. Today he teaches at Deakin University on systems theory. That's the way all our different systems intermix and collide, from environmental, economical, cultural etc. It sounds pretty all-encompassing. David's scholar and writer of choice is David Graebar (RIP). Check out his writings, too. Thanks for joining us, David. Keep up the great work! David and his pink scarf outside 3CR.
Jack Brady has done nearly everything there is to do in life, or so we think. From joining the Air Force at 17, to becoming a trainee dive master, an anthropologist and an English teacher in China. Let's throw in a comedian for good measure. Jack was born in Upper Ferntree Gully in 1970, but soon after their parents upped sticks and moved all the way north to Tewantin in Queensland, on the doorstep of Noosa. After high school, Jack worked at Coles and saw heaps of British pop stars do their shopping there. At one stage of their life, they experienced 'The Bends' and suffered an acquired brain injury, taking many years to recover, some of it ongoing. Jack is a non-binary comedian with Aspergers whose PhD is titled 'You Can't Laugh at That'. However, they would very much like you to laugh at their show 'For Rent: Hot Comedy for a Rent Freeze'. It's on at Theory Bar on October 30. Check it out. Jack would also like to mention another group they hang out in - the Centre for Australian Comedic Action. They are into using comedy for social change, social justice, comedy that changes the world. Check them out as well. Thanks for joining us, Jack, and keep up with all the great offerings you make to our world.www.eventbrite.com.au/e/for-rent-tickets-1001891242677www.caca.au
What a thrill to have the very talented Tia Kasambalis join us on the show this week. If you haven't heard of Tia, you have probably seen his artwork around the streets of Melbourne, in a newspaper, or maybe even on the telly sometime over the last few years. Tia is one of those talented artist-activists that make up the Workers Art Collective. Check it out. In the beginning, Tia was born in '91 Sydney. His family eventually moved down to Melbourne, Mt. Waverley, where he went to school and played state rugby for the 'church league'. Eventually, Tia got into tagging big time, which led to design at TAFE and RMIT. Tia's art practise focusses on union, refugee and migrant stories and portraiture. He is currently painting journalist Anthony Loewenstein for the Archibald next year. Can't wait to see that one! Tia was a happy guest and we really enjoyed chatting with him. He is a fabulous artist and we encourage you to follow his work. Thanks so much for being with us, Tia. Keep it up!@tia_kasswww.workersartcollective.comwww.sbs.com.au/news/article/faces-of-the-frontline-how-these-vulnerable-workers-survived-coronavirus-in-australia/c88bys363
What a gun - Rosie Heselev. At 30, she is the founder of Australia's first national prison newspaper, About Time. The paper is intended to be a narrative shift about prison and prisoners, with the hope of it eventually being completely produced by peers. It is off to a great start, having just released its second edition. Rosie got to learn quite a bit about prison and the conditions therein during COVID, mainly, when she worked on the Prison Advocacy Program at Fitzroy Legal Service. She also learnt a lot from her clients as a duty lawyer at the Neighbourhood Justice Centre. Rosie brings Main Character Energy and a joyous spirit with her and it was fascinating to learn about her family heritage and the formative years of her life. We hope you enjoy Rosie's story and that you reach out to the newspaper to grab copies and maybe help out. Keep up your fantastic work, Rosie.www.abouttime.org.au I @about.time.media
What a delight to have the lovely Sonia Randhawa on the show this week. Sonia is the current producer-presenter of 3CR's Wednesday Breakfast, but she has been around community radio a lot longer, starting up a pirate station in Malaysia some years back when she lived there with her Punjabi father and English mother who met in Liverpool in the 60s. Sonia spent her childhood between Malaysia and England, attending boarding school where activities included flying planes and eventually making her way to Oxford to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Sonia went on to working as a journalist for The Sun in Malaysia and completing a doctorate about the representation of women in Malay's newspapers. These days, Sonia works for The Sortition Collective who organise citizen's assemblies for whoever needs them. She was a warm and lovely guest and much smarter than us, we are sure. Thank-you, Sonia!www.sortitionfoundation.org
Daryl McDonald is a man who will live to 100, at least, but he grew up dodging magpies in Geelong. Now he is the co-presenter of Breadline, a program of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union, broadcasting on Mondays at 6pm, here on 3CR. Daryl works on the advice line at the AUWU, letting people know about their rights as Social Security beneficiaries and generally working against the government. He says it is rewarding work. Daryl has had many different jobs in his life, from welding, truck driving, to the meatworks in Donald. Along the way he learnt to drum and eventually played percussion in orchestras and theatre companies when the band wasn't practising in his bedsit in Ascot Vale, a great location to watch the fireworks over the Melbourne Show. Listen in to the great work of the Breadline team here on 3CR and let people know about the AUWU. Thanks for joining us, Darly, and keep up the great work!Breadline - Mondays - 6pm to 6:30pm - 3CR - 3cr.org.au/breadline
Folks may know this week's guest, Justin DeLeeuw, via his gold toilets which have been spotted around Preston and most consistently on Google Maps at 'Modern Art - Not a Fan', a rather interesting parcel of grass on a median strip on St Georges Road. Justin and other assorted activists, including members of the Renters and Housing Union (RAHU), have all this week slept out in gold tents at the site as part of the Housing Crisis Survival Expo - a Homelessness Week event raising awareness and encouraging conversations about creative solutions to the crisis, including squatting and dumpster diving. They have been having good chats with students across the road at the Polytechnic and other assorted locals have stopped by with food and conversation. Justin was born in '71 Adelaide and has a lived experience of homelessness. He is a pointillist tattooist, a portrait painter and recycle auditor. He knows about all the crap people put in the wrong bin! Justin got into the rave scene in Lismore area as an art installator and is planning an entry to the next Birdman Rally. Maybe a flying house? We love Justin's style and it was great having him on the show this week. Keep up the great work, Justin!@xak_and_baba
Why is it so difficult to conduct research on the West Papuan Noken? How does an item of Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO) relate to nationalism? Who exactly owns cultural heritage? These are the questions our guest this week is grappling with in his thesis at the University of Melbourne and his name is Louis Liedel. Louis is interested in cultural heritage when he is not playing futsal with his mates. Louis is looking at the Noken: a multi-functional, knotted bag, usually made of bark and dyed, that is used to store goods, carry goods, a 'walking house' if you will. It was listed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2012. Listeners are invited to meet Louis and celebrate 10 years of the West Papua Office in Docklands this Sunday August 4th at 838 Collins St, Docklands. Entry via the rear. Find out about the West Papua Liberation Movement and meet some great people doing powerful things. Lunch at 1pm, speakers at 2pm, the regular auction at 3pm, finishing off with the Vanuatu Choir and West Papuan Community Choir. Food, music, education and good times. Louis will be there talking about Noken diplomacy. It's quite fascinating and he is a great communicator. Get on down. Thanks, Louis, for joining us on the show this week. This is our second episode celebrating 10 years of the West Papua Office here in Melbourne - the only office in the world housing the members of the West Papuan transitional government. Have a listen to last week's episode to hear from Foreign Affairs Minster, Jacob Rumbiak. Merdeka!
This week we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the West Papua Office in Docklands - the only office in the world housing members of the West Papuan transitional government. There you will find its Foreign Affairs minister, Jacob Rumbiak, who has been in the struggle for his land's liberation since he was a young boy and who spent 10 years in prison for his threat to colonial Indonesia as an academic. Jacob came to Australia in 1999. There in the office you will also find Louise Byrne: general dogsbody and veteran of the Free West Timor movement. Louise says that one of the biggest advocacy purposes of the office is to encourage Australia to support the United Nations to conduct a fact-finding mission to West Papua. Close to 100 sovereign nations have so far pledged support for this effort. The West Papuan freedom movement claims colonial Indonesia carries out cultural genocide against its people and exploits its rich resources (have you ever heard of Grasberg mine?..). Indonesia claims West Papua to be its own, from land, to sea and sky. With the support of the West Papua Rent Collective, convened by our very own Joe Toscano, the West Papuan community here in Melbourne is able to conduct its work, hold events and educate us on its liberation movement. They work extremely hard. Jacob claims the office has given the movement a clearer direction, has made it real and given them Big Hope. We are so pleased to support the office and encourage you to attend its Open Day on Sunday August 4th, 838 Collins Street, Docklands. Entry via rear of the building. 1pm lunch kickoff. It is important we educate ourselves on the history of our close neighbour and we are honoured to welcome Jacob and Louise to the show this week. Merdeka!www.greenleft.org.au/content/mine-centre-west-papuas-colonisation(l to r): Convenor of the West Papua Rent Collective, Joe Toscano, with Lousie Byrne and Jacob Rumbiak from the West Papua Office.Louise sports a brooch of the Raggiana - the most popular Bird Of Paradise in West Papua. The Raggiana used to be trafficked along the Silk Road to Persia and England where ladies at the races sported the feathers in their hats.
Mars on Earth. That's where this week's guest has been and she joins us to talk all about it. Sally ventured to Antartica this year, prompted by her deep concern for sea-level rise, having lived her whole life by the water. She got to see a lot of cold, blue water, icebergs, penguins and seals on her epic voyage across the Roaring Forties with 350 other intrepid travellers and scientists down to an icy rock twice the size of Australia. We learn about her packing kit, the Zodiac, the ship and the view out the window. What about that view! Thank-you so much for joining us to share your amazing journey, Sally, and keep up your care for our wonderous planet.Sally and Joe in the 3CR courtyard.
We sure wish Duff would write a book about his stay in an abandoned resort behind Cape Tribulation and his cosying-up with a cassowary. We might have to settle for his sci-fi, end of the earth epic about 4 blokes who return from the forest to find they are the last humans alive. In Warrnambool. Those old enough may know Duff as the fella who pie-faced himself then kissed Premier Stephen Bracks at the opening of the 2001 International Comedy Festival. It was Duff's humurous attempt to get back at the Premier for basically encouraging Victoria Police to bludgeon the crowd at the World Economic Forum protests / S11 a little while earlier. Greg paid a high price for his stunt, with it costing him comedy gigs and a history re-write. Greg hit his straps as an activist at the Jabiluka protests. He grew up on a sheep farm in Warrnambool with a very humurous brother, he's been a lab rat, he writes books, he squats around the place and says the mission in life is to achieve peace within yourself. He is currently gearing up for some action for Homelessness Week. It was great to have him on. He's a good egg. Thanks, Duff!Duff and friend, Jeanie, in the 3CR courtyard. They were both Barak Beacon activists.
Serial pest, Leon Zembekis, joins us on the show this week. He is our newly-appointed elder guest wrangler and we are so happy to welcome him to the Radical Australia team. Leon has always respected his elders and the wisdom they impart. He has worked for the Greens for a long time and grew up with a staunch Greek mum who knew how to keep the council officers at bay when they came knocking on their door about 'the animals'... Growing up in Kew in the 70s, he knew all the scrubby tracks down to the Yarra. He loves to collect hard rubbish and share pre-loved items with those who need it. Leon is fun company and we are looking forward to all the great elder guests he will bring through the door of 3CR. Welcome, Leon!
What a treat to have Gus Nossal on the show this week. He joined us on the phone from his home at the last minute. What a trooper. For the uninitiated, Gus is an Australian legend who has been bestowed with many titles and was on the telly all the time back in the day as scientific public intellectual. Gus says that public communication is vital. He was born and raised in Vienna during the 1930s before his family came to Australia on a long boat voyage which was very exciting for young Gus. He always wanted to be a doctor and studied medicine, landing in theoretical virology. His PhD supervisor was Frank Macfarlane Burnet, then he went off to Stanford during a very exciting time in medical science. Gus says he spent hours and hours a day at the microscope. In 1962 he returned to Australia and became the Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Gus' big interest was in immunological tolerance and its impacts on the fields of transplants and auto-immune diseases. We'll leave the rest of the story to Gus who recently celebrated his 93rd birthday. Thank-you very much for the chat, Gus, and for all you have done for global health.
What are they like - these two muggins. These oafs. These silly sausages. Diggaling deep, shovelling the cash, doing what they can for their beloved 3CR. A hold-tight-to-your-seats thrill ride as these two oompalompas freestyle for your heartfelt pledge to keep the door open to anyone and everyone who has ever done anything good for the wider world. For those that take a political stand for justice, for peace, for care of our natural world. June is a special time to show your love and appreciation of 3CR. Staunchly grassroots, indepenent and radical for 47 years. Donate what you can now as every dollar makes a difference. Make a point of supporting 3CR. Follow the prompts at 3cr.org.au/donate or call the station and speak to our Radiothon angels on 03) 9419 8377. Thanks for your staunch support.
Sue Bolton is almost peerless when it comes to having clear working memory and deep knowledge of Australian politics the last 40 years. She can tell you the details of so many leftist campaigns, what the issues were that were being caused by government and business, and key decisions that were made. Her knowledge is really quite astounding. We return to Sue this week for our second chat. We take up her story when she first came to Melbourne and was active with the Democratic Socialist Party and publication Green Left Weekly. This was in the early-90s during the school occupations to stop closures, nuclear testing in the Pacific, native forest logging, the election of the Howard government and the election of Pauline Hanson. This period began a certain era of refugee politics and policy in the country. Sue was a national trade union organiser for a few years beginning in 2003 and was the lead arrestee in the Max Brenner case. She was elected to Merri-Bek council in 2012 and bases all her work listening to her local community. Sue has been re-elected twice. Her current big campaign is getting accessible tram stops on Sydney Road. We love Sue and think she is a gem. She deserves an honour for all her efforts for working class communities over many, many years. Thank-you so much for joining us once again, Sue.
Rowland G Schultz entertains us muchly this week with his poetry and one of his flamenco guitar tracks. He called in on the phone from Sydney and entertained us with many poems. Rowland acquired a brain inury through a transport accident some years ago and this precipitated a very difficult period of his life. We talk about what it is like to lose everything, to be affected by a traumatic injury, and to lose someone you love. Since his accident, Rowland's poetry talent has emerged and we begin the show with Disabled or PTSstabled. He says he was on fire with that one. Rowland was a very successful guitarist in Melbourne for many years, playing flamenco guitar and in bands such as the Bossa Nova outfit, A Train and The Gypsy Crims, a cover band. He frequented venues such as Open Studio. Rowland is now thinking of dedicating some time to the oud. He was born in '79 in Sydney and went to Newtown Performing Arts High School where all the other cool kids were. Rowland was a fab guest and we thank him greatly for joining us and sharing some of his life's moments with us. Thank-you, Rowland.Please be advised this conversation includes some heavy themes like loss and challenges of mental ill-health that may not be suitable for some listeners. https://youtube.com/@rowland-schultz-vikingodejerez?si=dzvk9w0gAdLztEMOhttps://youtube.com/@vikingodejerez?si=SJYGUfeBby9oy5Dahttps://youtube.com/@rowlandgschultz390?si=zPSFxnIvYj8MmFsbhttps://youtube.com/@rowlandgschultz123?si=Ns3XHobmgXtxUKY0https://youtube.com/@rowlandgschultz-js8yj?si=PlCWmsA2RfYzRTQU
These days, this week's guest, Ron Guy, is an artist activist for the cause of Western Sahara, the last colony of Africa. Earlier, he supported the cause of East Timor before it gained independence. Ron has been a union delegate for the AWU and was the OH&S officer at Dow Chemicals. He has had a long interest in the trade union movement, starting when he had to endure living with plenty of mice in property he lived in when he was a young fruit picker. Ron was born in Bacchus Marsh in '57 and was a miracle baby. He had an interest in painting from an early age. His father was a Rat of Tobruk. Ron was a lovely guest and we thank him so much for joining us this week. awsa.org.au
Arborist and life-long rock star. That's this week's guest, Andrew Matters, calling in from Adelaide. Andrew has been shaping, saving, planting and assessing trees for over 20 years. He loves planning and planting gardens and is currently crushing on the Crepe Myrtle tree. He spent his young adulthood in Sydney with a panel van and a band - Neptune Lolly Shoppe. The spectre of illness hung over his life for a long time, as Andrew was really ill when he was young. We talk about his time in and out of hospitals and the illness he survived. We had a really great time talking with Andrew and we thank him for sharing some of his life with us. Thanks, Andrew. Keep up your great work.@tree_matters@WilliamStreetStrikers@neptunelollyshoppe back in the day..
Jeannie Erceg was one of 5 residents who resisted the demolition of their homes on the Barack Beacon public housing estate in Port Melbourne just a little while ago and says 'They can't make me disappear. I can say what I want'. Jeannie says the estate had a 'friendly feeling' and it was a 'wonderful community'. Like every resident on the estate, Jeannie found out her home was due to be demolished just 2 weeks prior to Christmas by a knock at the door by a couple of government representatives. There was no community consultation whatsoever about the most recent estate to come under the instrument that is the Big Build. Jeannie makes it quite apparent that the public has been shortchanged in the plans for the new dwellings, with thousands of people waiting ever longer on the public housing list.Jeannie grew up in Caufield and is a '71 baby. She is the mother to 7 children. When young, she was enthusiastic about being a choirgirl and went on to get married in the Carnegie church. Prior to her removal from Barack Beacon, Jeannie resided at the public housing estate on Bang Street in Prahran for 24 years. Her firsthand accounts of the treatment of public housing estates and residents by the government is illuminating. We thank Jeannie for joining us this week. https://www.homes.vic.gov.au/barak-beacon-port-melbournehttps://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/they-ll-have-to-carry-me-out-inside-the-public-housing-estate-set-for-demolition-20230316-p5csoj.htmlhttps://office.org.au/project/retain-repair-reinvest-barak-beacon-estate/
I want to lead the way in having difficult conversations says this week's guest, Ruth Clare. Ruth is perhaps best known either for her acting job in a genital herpes commercial or for her memoir about growing up with her returned serviceman father. One lighthearted and one serious fact about Ruth and we straddle both ends in our conversation with her this week. Ruth is a Rocky girl and went to Rockhampton High which was 'a bit rough' but at which she was 'a total nerd' who loved performing. She eventually figured out that she could follow her dreams as a career and forayed into acting after her move to Melbourne. Ruth's memoir, ENEMY, won the final Asher Award in 2017 and she is now a motivational speaker, engaging highschool students in conversations she wished she had at their age. Ruth is a mother to two children and was born in '74. She has a great smile and a personality to match. Thank-you, Ruth, for joining us on the show this week.Cover of Ruth's book, ENEMY.A young Ruth.
Pauline Klemm is the woman behind the social media juggernaut, The Baba Desi Story, on Facebook, where she has taken some stunning pictures of Belgrave wizard, Baba Desi. She has been taking pictures for the last 6 years after coming to care for her brother's camera when it came into her possession. It was a sliding door moment and Pauline learnt there is another life in front of the camera. It has changed her life. The Baba Desi Story has opened up the Hills community to her. Pauline is still a nurse, however, working in theatre in anaesthetics recovery. She grew up in North Balwyn, down the creek looking for tadpoles. Pauline is a '64 baby. Her photos are gorgeous and we thank Pauline so much for joining us this week.facebook.com/belgraveswizard3cr.org.au/radicalaustralia/episode/baba-desiinstagram.com/slidingdoorphotography
Antoinette Pitt used to roadie for 73 Bob Bob and was Australia's first female wrestling referee. She is a woman of many surprises. Antoinette is a nurse and an executive for Australian Progressives who have 6 pillars of E's: Ethics + Empathy + Evidence + Equality + Engagement + Empowerment. Learn all about Antoinette's goth phase in Lilydale and her time as an apprective spray painter. Antoinette is a '77 baby. Thanks for being our lovely guest, Antoinette!progressives.org.auAntoinette chatting in studio 1 at 3CR.
This week's guest, Ribke Ovide, is a volunteer at the the West Papua Office in Docklands. She has been living in Australia for the last couple of years, coming here on a scholarship to further her studies in aviation mechanics. Ribke hails from Timika in West Papua and speaks 4 languages. She was born in 200. Her faith is very important to her, as is her family, along with her dream to become an aviation aircraft mechanic. She has been working hard at it. Ribke has a moving story to tell and we were so pleased to meet her this week. Thank-you, Ribke. With your hard work and tenacity, you are sure to succeed. We wish you all the best.Join Ribke and friends at the West Papua Open Day on Sunday 14 April // 211/838 Collins St, Docklands // 1pm Lunch // 2pm Dr Jacob Rumbiak // 3pm Joe's Auctionwww.facebook.com/dfait.federalrepublicofwestpapuawww.instagram.com/westpapuawomensofficeLouise Byrne, Joe Toscano, Ribke Ovide and Tommy Latupeirissa in Studio One at 3CR.
This week's guest, Tim Hollo, is kind of like Green royalty in Australia. He heads The Green Institute, a think tank focussed on transformative issues in the green space, he founded Green Music Australia, he was the communications director for Christine Milne, and he has been at the environmental game since university in the 90's. His first love, however, was the violin. He's been playing it since he was a child and was in the Australian Youth Orchestra, attending the Atlanta Olympics. Tim's parents are refugees from Hungary and China. He grew up with a brother who also plays music. Tim is a member of Four Play, a string quartet. He has a book titled 'Living Democracy'. It was a treat having Tim on the blower from Canberra. Thanks, Tim! Keep up the great work!greeninstitute.org.augreenmusic.org.aufourplay.com.auTim signing his book, Living DemocracyTim at an AAPP protest
In case you missed it - here is the second part to our talk with Kutcha Edwards. Kutcha is a legend of 3CR, steering our annual Beyond the Bars NAIDOC prison broadcasts for many a year. In this chat, we are taken on a trip down the memory lane of aboriginal Fitzroy of the 1990s. From the MAYSAR/ Fitzroy Stars Youth Club gymnasium and Uncle Herbert Jock Austin, to singing opera while on homebrew ouzo among the gardens of the high rises, to band time with fellow 3CR legend, Uncle Robbie Thorpe. We are lucky to hear Kutcha's reflection on life in sobriety, his approach to performance and Beyond the Bars with Gilla and Johnnie Mac. Such a treat to have Kutcha in the studio and we hope you enjoy this conversation. Thanks so much, Kutcha.kutcha-edwards.com Kutcha and Uncle Archie Roach RIP in an episode of Kutcha's Koorioke kutchaskoorioke.com
We are thrilled to broadcast a couple of chats we recently had with the mighty Kutcha Edwards. This week, we learn the origins of Kutcha's name and some things about his early life. Kutcha tells us that he was born before The Referendum and politics has played a big part in his life. Kutcha went to high school in Taralgon before moving to the city to be with brothers and sisters. He went to Koori College and knew his place as an aboriginal man in the city. He worked at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and learned to yarn with the patients. Kutcha is a loyal family man and we were honoured he shared some of his intimate memories with us. We are looking forward to next week's episode and we hope you enjoy this special with him.kutcha-edwards.comkutchaskoorioke.com
A life full of mentors and a-ha moments. That has been the story of this week's guest, Rob Brown, a big tall Scotsman indeed. Rob was born in 1960 in the Gorbals, tenement housing in Glasgow, sharing one toilet among five families. That's just how things were. Rob's mother scrubbed the steps of the school on her hands and knees with a brush. That's where he says he probably got his work ethic from. Rob has gone on to have a very successful career around the world. He's good at leading people and understanding the processes of big companies. Rob now heads up Fruit2Work, a social enterprise hiring people with lived experience of the criminal justice system. They deliver fruit and milk to businesses around Melbourne. Fruit2Work has had a 0% recidivism rate among its employees and now hires over 100 people. Rob also recently began Recycle4Change, a container deposit scheme in North Geelong hiring women and youth affected by the criminal justice system. He's a big fella with a big, warm personality and it was a pleasure learning about where he came from and what his life journey has been like to now. Keep up the great work, Rob, and thanks for joining us this week.fruit2work.com.aurecycle4change.com.au
We spoke with this week's guest, University of Sydney Professor of Law, Simon Butt, on Indonesia's Presidential Election Day. Simon came on to talk about some of the legal infrastructure in Indonesia, during the pre-1998 Suharto era and now. On paper, Indonesians have more legal rights than Australians, but corruption runs right through the system. Simon did a big job researching this during COVID and has released a book titled 'Judicial Dysfunction in Indonesia'. It was interesting to learn about the legal institutions in Indonesia, from a Constitutional Court, Islamic Courts and an Anti-Corruption Commission. Indonesia is a sprawling multi-ethnic, socially and economically diverse nation and Simon has been learning about it since high school. We had a great time talking with him. Thanks so much for joining us this week, Simon.mup.com.au/books/judicial-dysfunction-in-indonesia-paperback-softbacksydney.edu.au/law/about/our-people/academic-staff/simon-butt.htmlImage courtesy of Tim Lindsey
The only left-winger in the family. That's Sue Bolton, well-known to many in Melbourne's left and socialist communities, long-standing councillor at Merri-Bek. Sue is always standing up for what is right, for people's rights, in her community. Sue hails from Western Queensland and says the class divide was really vivid in the bush. After boarding school she went and studied psychology for a little bit, then went fruit picking around the country before turning onto the revolutionary movements in Latin America. Sue eventually joined the Socialist Worker's Party and both during that time and before she drove buses and trucks. Sue moved to Melbourne in the early 90's and began full-time organising at the Resistance Centre, getting involved in the student movement, including organising a school walk-off against Pauline Hanson, industrial struggles, anti-nuclear testing, anti-logging and the East Timor struggle. Sue has a good memory of all her activities and what was going on politically in Australia throughout that time. Let's face it: Sue is a bit of a legend and so very well-respected in our communities. She has packed a lot of activity into her life and we will have her back on in March. We hope you enjoy this chat getting to know Sue and where she comes from. Thanks so much, Sue.Radical Australia producer, Kelly Whitworth (l), with Sue (c) and host, Joe Toscano (r) outside 3CR.
This week's guests, Mecedes Zanker and Joe Lorback, are members of the Renegade Solidarity Audio Force crew who have been involved in all kinds of local radical activism, from #freeassange, to Melbourne's Palestinian motorcades, the Park Hotel protest actions and every Sunday Palestine rally to date. Joe joined us from his weekend at the Women's tennis finals where he delivered a pro-Palestine verbal bomb during a heightened moment of the match and from finishing his first day returning to teaching. Joe tells us he was radicalised during the S11 protests in Melbourne and we learn about his experience in collectives. Mercedes is a 3CR broadcaster on Uprise Radio. It was great having them both in the studio this week. Thanks so much, Mercedes and Joe.renegadeactivists.org/renegade-solidarity-audio-forcefacebook.com/solidaritysoundsysteminstagram.com/solidaritysoundsystemfacebook.com/HARDOUTBARinstagram.com/hardout___
This week's guest, Alexandra, has had an interesting life so far, most of that spent in England with radical collectives. She is a dancer who grew up in Canberra. Alexandra is currently our Wednesday afternoon reception volunteer and has an interesting story to tell. Thanks for being with us, Alex.
A fashion brand for people who give a shit. That's how this week's guest, Nick Savaidis, decribes his label, Etiko, winner of an Australian Human Rights Award and the most ethical fashion brand in the country. Nick started making sports balls under the label before branching into clothing. He has always had a thing for the underdog and has used this feeling for some good deeds. Nick introduced No Sweat sneakers into Australia and helped bring in the Fair Trade label. Nick saw his mother sew garments for a pittance whilst the stores made a buck when he was a child. He was born in Carlton in 1958. Nick set up a number of social enterprises with community in Yuendumu (NT) over the course of 6 years as an adult educator in literacy and numeracy, from driver education, a community laundromat and a commuity-owned digital network for high school students in the area. We think he has a good heart and it was great to hear about the forces that have shaped his life. Thanks so much for joining us this week, Nick, and for your contribution to making the world a better place. etiko.com.auNick (c) stands with loyal Etiko customer, Joe Malignaggi (r) and Joe Toscano (l) in the 3CR courtyrard.
This week's guest, Gatwech Wal, is a war survivor from South Sudan. When Gatwech was 11 years old, he had to flee his village with his older brother and he spent 11 years in a refugee camp on the border of Ethiopia. We hear this story and what it was like. Since coming to Australia, Gatwech has worked incredibly hard to have a successful life and is now a Family Law - Family Violence lawyer. This is the first of a two-part chat with Gatwech and we welcome his return in a little while for a chat about Family Law in Australia. Thank-you for joining us this week, Gatwech, and we look forward to seeing you next time.
On our last live show for the year, we welcome the return of popular guest, Robert 'Smokey' Wolfgramm. We find Robert in conversation with Joe about his PhD on the ethnic identity. Robert set out on his research to answer the questions 'What does it mean to be Fijian? What does it mean to be ethnic? How do we know who we are?'. Find out what answers Robert came to in this engaging conversation. We thank Robert for entertaining us once again this year. We wish you all a safe and relaxing Christmas and New Year. We have two great repeats over the Summer break for you, so see you next week for the first of those. Kelly & Joe
Jill Lockwood is a community-minded gardener from the Dandenong Hills, currently volunteering her time at the Knox Environment Society in Ferntree Gully with all the other 'seedy ladies' and 'HAGS' cleaning seeds and preserving the indigenous flora of the area. Jill was born in 1944 at Epworth Hospital, worked in insurance and also as a medical receptionist for 26 years. The greatest love of her life was no doubt her husband, Roger. They used to volunteer for Puffing Billy together. Jill says 'life is for living' and she keeps herself busy with various community groups. She loves cooking, baking and, of course, gardening! Thank-you so much for joining us this week, Jill, and for your contribution to your community.Knox Environment Society: kes.org.auSav Lake Knox campaign: kes.org.au/campaigns/lakeknoxJill with friend and fellow gardener, Zoe
Baba Desi. The Wizard. The Doctor. Desmond Bergen. He is known as many things and has been many things in his long life: jazzer, hippie, bodgie, pirate. In fact, he's 'been them all', he says. We are delighted to welcome Baba Desi to Radical Australia this week to share with us some tales from his long life of 94 years. Baba Desi was born in Wangaratta and also lived in Warrnambool when he was young. He has lived in Melbourne ever since. As a young man he ran Dixieland jazz dances, trained racehorses and beat up American troops with other young blokes hanging around the city. He was a supervisor at George's department stores and has always loved stirring the coppers up. He was into 'every struggle that was going on', inlcluding leading marches against the Vietnam War and nuclear power. He has run for the Senate and knew Father Bob Maguire for decades. He's been in Hollywood movies and caught the eye of Billy Connolly when he was in town. Desi says the secret to life is to be positive and just get on with things. Don't think about it, just do it. It was great having Baba Desi on the show this week. He has made a great contribution to leftist activist life in Melbourne.facebook.com/belgraveswizard/ Joe and Baba Desi in studio 1 at 3CRBaba Desi in the 3CR courtyard. He used to model for David Jones back in the day. It shows.Baba Desi with friends Zoe, Daz and Joe at 3CRBobby
We are delighted to bring you a very special episode of Radical Australia this week, sharing it with you today on International Day of People with a Disability #IDOPWD, Sunday December 3. This week's guest is intellectual disability self-advocate, Colin Hiscoe. Colin has been an active member of self-advocacy group Reinforce for decades and his story is sure to both move and inspire you. Colin spent his childhood in Leeds, England, until he was 12 years old. He remembers all the kids with their sleds on the hill during Winter and going to the picture theatre. He came to Australia with his mother and started life here in Wangaratta with his Aunty. Colin endured a lot of mistreatment in his early life, from family members and other authority figures, before he stumbled upon a conference that changed his life forever. For the first time he heard peers' stories and through the sharing of these stories he began to heal. He hasn't looked back. Reinforce is a group of peers who talk about issues that their community faces, from wages to the conditions in sheltered workshops. Colin describes it as 'a big voice of people'. Reinforce also designs training to inform peers' of their rights and where to get help. Colin is a strong survivor and we were blessed to hear his story this week. Colin's story shows the power of community.Thank-you for being our guest this week, Colin, and long live Reinforce!Have a look at these wonderful links:https://reinforce.org.au/https://purpleorange.org.au/news-resources/advocate-and-activist-colin-hiscoe-reinforce
"Encouragement is a great thing in practise". We welcome back Percy Rogers to Radical Australia this week for the third and final instalment of our conversation with this amazing medical doctor who has done so much for so many across his years of medical practise in Australia. Percy worked until he was 86 years old. We take up this conversation at a time in his life when Percy was a single father. He worked at the Royal Women's Hospital and was a bulk-billing doctor for years. Afterwards, Percy worked as a locum in medical clinics within aboriginal settlements across Northern Australia. He loved this work and spent this time with his wife, Roz. Percy credits his longevity to a little red wine, running and his wife Roz: his three R's of life. Percy tells us he never lost his curiosity about the causes of illness and he never lost his respect for people, for being welcomed into their lives. We are so thrilled to have gotten this chance to speak with Percy this year. He is a very decent human being indeed. Thank-you so much, Percy Rogers.
Imagine being able to boast that one of your claims to fame was getting yellow-carded in a soccer match against a young Maradona. Such has been the life of our lovely guest this week, Tommy Latupeirissa. Tommy's family comes from Maluku (Spice Islands) in Indonesia and they were a military family. Tommy was a young gun soccer player and represented Indonesia in the Junior World Cup in Japan. For the senior team he played around Asia and the Pacific. Tommy worked in the hotels in Bali as a public relations officer and this is where he started learning and speaking English. He came to Australia when he was 29. Tommy has been a welder and now loves his photography. He has captured many moments of the Free West Papua struggle here in Melbourne and we will be encouraging the West Papua Office to hold an exhibition of his works in 2024. In the meantime, Tommy invites you to the final gathering at the office this year on Sunday 26th November, featuring food, talks, a book launch and an auction. See the link for details. Thank-you for joining us on the show this week, Tommy. https://dfait.federalrepublicofwestpapua.org/document/launching-clovis-mwambas-the-meteorite-memos/
"Advocacy never stops. It keeps going". We were treated to conversing with the lovely Ricki Spencer this week. Ricki is a trans woman, mental health and disability advocate from Footscray who has endured some really rough treatment in her life and she continues to hold her head up high. Ricki tells us that she was stigmatised and bullied throughout primary and high school for being different and she learned very quickly that there was no support for her in society: from the police, doctors and family. Ricki went on to study Community Development and volunteered with the Victorian Aids Council. She and her community were stigmatised most severely during the AIDS crisis. Ricki holds a Bachelor and Masters of Education and is now partway through her PhD on unconscious, binary, heteronormative bias among the teaching population. Ricki has found it close to impossible to secure teaching work despite being more than qualified. Ricki also uses her time as a mental health advocate and co-design practitioner in digital health for broad access needs. Ricky says that finding connection with others and listening to how others have endured adversity has built her self-confidence. She says it is important to build allies. We thank Ricki so much for joining us on the blower from Footscray this week. Thank-you, Ricki.
"Things are not going to change unless we do something about it. Don't sit on the sidelines. Become involved". Bevan did get involved in activism and quit his job to work on the Vietnam moratorium movement in the 1970s. It was when Bevan first went to Africa as an Australian Volunteer Abroad in 1965 that his eyes were opened to African independence movements and other political struggles going on in the world. Bevan was born in Thornbury, Melbourne, in 1939. He was there at the beginning of 3CR and remembers its first transmitter, bought for $200 from the local fire brigade. Bevan has taught electrical engineering at TAFE and was pulled up by the cops in the 70s for his anti-conscription graffiti. He is a veteran of the peace movement in Australia and currently organises with the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network. Bevan wants to tell you that IPAN currently has an important e-petition about the militarisation of Northern Australia on its website and urges you to sign. Thanks so much for joining us this week, Bevan, and for your lifelong commitment to peace work in Australia.ipan.org.au/end-the-force-posture-agreementipan.org.au
This week's guest, Sue Smith, has been a trailblazer and a great friend to many in the disability self-advocacy space in Victoria and beyond for many years and has just recently retired. Sue leaves a great legacy. In 2008, Sue and friend began the Self Advocacy Resource Unit (SARU) at Ross House in the Melbourne CBD, an amazing resource supporting countless disability self-advocacy groups with guidance and support to make groups harmonious and flourish. In the 1990s, before Pink Ribbon, Sue was a Warrior Woman, joining other women in a mixed media project exploring women's experiences with breast cancer and funded by the Australian Council for the Arts. Sue began her activist work at the Janefield Colony, a home for children with intellectual disabilities, where she came in and shook things up. She received death threats. She is a pretty amazing woman and leaves such a strong legacy in Victoria and Australia and all we can do is say Thank-You and we wish Sue many happy times enjoying her retirement. Thank you for all you have done, Sue.Self Advocacy Resource Unit - a Facebook public group
This week's guest, David Ayliffe, has had a busy life with lots of different projects and this made for a bit of a rowdy show! David was born in Sydney and spent many years in Queensland, at one stage working for Murdoch newspapers before joining a cult for 21 years after a born-again experience. He met his wife there and raised four children. David is no longer in the cult. Since then, he has worked in bequests at Guide Dog Australia and he recently established Best People Care, a care service for peope with intellectual disabilities. His latest offering to the world is a podcast titled 'No Sex, please: I'm Religious', an irreverent and serious look at the history of the treatment of sex and sexual identities by the world's religions. David also works to support queer refugees in Africa. He's a busy man and was a good-spirited guest in the studio this week. Thanks so much, David!nosexplease.com.au
The lovely, bubbly, Kayla Cartledge joined us on the show this week to rally support for the YES vote and to tell us all the amazing community organising she has been up to on the Mornington Peninsula. Kayla is a Gurindji woman who grew up on Larrakia (Darwin) country, people known for their land rights activism. Kayla carries her mother's strong spirit on the Mornington Peninsula where she has lived since she was 8 years old. She is the founder of the Mornington Peninsula Survival Day events, @oursurvivalday, which have been running at The Briars since 2019 and has been busy this year with the Mornington Peninsula for YES Group. Kayla has worked with the Mornington Peninsula Council, Kinaway Chamber of Commerce and is now with Monash University. She is set to head to Aotearoa soon for an e-safety conference and is collecting experiences of vilification and hate speech in the YES referendum campaign at her site @oursonglines. Thank-you for sharing your positive spirit with us this week, Kayla, and keep up your great community organising on the Mornington.yes23.com.au/mornington_peninsula_for_yes I @morningtonpeninsula.yes23 (I) I @MorningtonPeninsulaYes23 (FB)This week's show is also dedicated to our friend, Ric 'Pope Fred', who has sadly left this plane behind and will be sorely missed. A much loved comrade in the anarchist circles in Melbourne. Friends from the IRL Infoshop will hold a gathering next month to celebrate him. We are so glad to have sat with Ric for Radical Australia in 2021 and you can listen back to our conversation here. Rest in Power, Ric x3cr.org.au/radicalaustralia/episode-202104071600/pope-fred
This week's guest, Deborah Gough, started out life on a good footing, leading a school strike in Year 7 when the bubble taps didn't work on a really hot day. So they all went home. Fast forward to when she was 12 and it was then that Deborah first thought about the life of a journalist and what that could mean for her. Deborah was a clerk at The Age and worked on Western suburbs newspapers for 10 years, inluding The Footscray Mail and The Advocate. She also worked on the free rag, Melbourne Express, which she said was great fun. Obviously Deborah has amazing writing chops, not to mention excellent people skills. She has gone on to create her own business, Stories To Keep, social and oral histories in the form of books for famlies to treasure. It's such a great thing. Deborah worked with last week's guest, Percy Rogers, to publish his memoir, Taking Action. Deborah's work has a lot in common with us here at Radical Australia and we just had to invite her on. Deborah is one of many talented people giving the treasure of stories to families at Life Stories Australia Association and we thank her very much for joining us this week.storiestokeep.com.au/founder-deborah-goughlifestoriesaustralia.com.au
Percy Rogers joins us again this week for Part Two of our special as we learn about his professional life as a doctor in Melbourne. Percy has done a lot to change the birthing experience for women in Australia. He was appalled at the treatment of pregnant women in hospitals many decades ago and ushered in breathing techniques that were non-existent and which now are commonplace. Percy has always stood up for what is right, including helping those in dire straits with blanket drives and soup runs, small but meaningful gestures he learnt about during the Depression. He's a marvel. Percy held a position as the municipal health doctor in the Coburg area and claims this was his favourite post of them all. Percy's sense of adventure and love of learning has seen him work as a doctor in remote places such as the Cocos Keeling Islands and Papua New Guinea in the 1970s. We are very much looking forward to our last installment next week when we will learn about Percy's activism, something he still continues today. Thank-you so much, Percy.
This week's show is Part One in our interview series with Melbourne GP, health innovator and activist, Percy Rogers. Percy was a kindly GP to many people over many decades in Coburg and beyond, specialising in maternity health, but he started life in Western Australia in 1927. Percy grew up in Australia's experience of the Depression and the Second World War. He remembers how much it cost to pay lodgings whilst also trying to put yourself through college as a working-class boy. Percy was a maths whizz and was turned onto socialism at a young age whilst perusing books down a little alleyway in Perth many moons ago. He stumbled on some books talking about Marxism and he resonated with that view of the world. We are very much looking forward to learning where Percy's journey will lead us next when he returns to the studio next week! Tune in then.
Sash Gillies-Lekakis is a bright young PhD candidate and 3CR broadcaster who loves everything Latin America. He's been to Cuba a few times already in his young life and decided to learn Spanish at university, even though he comes from a family of Crimean Russians and Greeks. It's a family joke. Sasha has always loved modern history and produces Latin American Update, a long-running Sunday morning show on 3CR. Sasha's PhD is exploring Cuba's cooperation with the Pacific Islands, including training doctors for poor Pacific countries. He and his family have been communists for ever. Sasha will be co-hosting the event at the West Papua office in Docklands, Sunday 17 September, also featuring last week's popular guest, Robert Wolfgramm. There will be music, talks from Cuba and Fiji, and an auction! 838 Collins St, Docklands. Thanks for joining us this week, Sasha! Latin American Update, Sundays, 10:30am - 11amTickets for the West Papua event: dfait.federalrepublicofwestpapua.org/document/cuba-fiji-for-west-papua/
We are all phantoms. So introduces us to this week's very interesting guest, Rober Wolfgramm. Robert has done nearly everything you can pack into doing with a life: from lecturing in philosophical anthropology and sociology, to running a newspaper in Fiji during the military coup in the 00's. Robert has an interesting family background and was born in the 'village in the clouds' in Fiji before coming to Australia at age 11 when his world changed as he opened up to classical music and a bigger cosmos. It was broken down in a truck in Young NSW that changed Robert's life trajectory through a book that turned him onto sociology. He went on to lecture for 24 years. Robert says he has been blessed with meeting good people in his life, people that gave him a break. He's a pretty good bloke himself and sports a most majestic white beard. Robert will be giving a presentation at the West Papua Office in Docklands on Sunday September 17 on what the Pacific needs to do in relation to West Papua. Thank-you for joining us this week. Robert.dfait.federalrepublicofwestpapua.org/join-the-west-papua-rent-collective/Robert and Joe compete for the best white beard in studio 1 at 3CR. Rober wins hands down.
Marisol Salinas from 3CR's Mujeres Latinoamericanas joins us on the show this week for our second special commemorating the 1973 coup in her homeland of Chile. Marisol hails from the far south of Chile on an island called Chiloe. Her people are the Mapuche and Marisol shares with us the trauma of her mother's life being a first nations woman and living in fear. Marisol is good at maths and physics and came to Australia when she was 23 years old when her political conscience began to grow. She has produced Mujeres Latinoamericanas for close to 30 years on 3CR, Thursdays 7pm - 8pm. Marisol invites everyone to the 'Chile 50 Years' commemoration, a full day of images and sounds at Trades Hall on Monday September 11, from 9:30am, at 54 Lygon St, Carlton. Thank-you for joinign us the show this week, Marisol.3cr.org.au/mujereshttps://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/chile-50-years-of-solidarity-struggle-tickets-684606776297
3CR Chairperson, Pilar Aguilera, joins us this week to talk about the day that changed Chile forever and her personal family story that was swept up in it: September 11, 1973. The day of a militiary coup when Chile's democratically-elected, progressive government was taken over, a day that began the routine of storming houses and instilling fear among the populace. Pilar was just two years old. In the early days of the coup, thousands of people disappeared, were tortured and killed. We learn of Pilar's family exile from their homeland and we make time for the promotion of the 50th anniversary of that fateful day: Chile - 50 Years of Solidarity and Struggle. A full day commemoration of music, poetry, activities and empanada. Hosted by Trades Hall and organised with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union as an international solidarity initiative. See Eventbrite for further details. Thank-you for sharing you story with us, Pilar, and for being a steady presence as the 3CR Chair.https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/chile-50-years-of-solidarity-struggle-tickets-684606776297
Use the time. Don't let the time use you. Arthur says this was the best piece of advice he received during his 8 year stint in the netherworld of Pentridge Prison and other gaols for armed robbery when he was a young, confused man. He received another piece of wisdom during his time that he says encapsulated all the study he did in his Masters of Criminology. Arthur has dedicated a lot of his life to helping prisoners transition from gaol into the community and serves as a mentor to many. He has been on a long healing journey, too. In Part Two of our special with Arthur, we come to learn how prisons and prisoners have changed over the last 40 years and what Arthur belives true rehabilitation means. It's been great having Arthur on our show the past month. Thanks for all the work you've done over the years helping others, Arthur. You have been a great guest.arthurbolkas.com.au
We were delighted to welcome Indonesian anti-corruption activist and teacher, Todung Mulya Lubis, online from Indonesia, onto the show this week. For many decades, Todung has committed his life to talking about the truth, in his idealistic and fearless way, about corruption in his homeland of Indonesia. Todung studied law and human rights at university and worked for Indonesian Legal Aid. In this conversation we learn some things about the modern political history of Indonesia, including the role of the military, political parties and the 32-year Suharto regime. We come to understand Todung's analysis of Indonesia's political system as a dynasty of cronies and what corruption means there. Todung identifies two forms of corruption: grand and state-capture. Both affect the way contracts are organised and are both an abuse and misuse of power. In this environment, what are Todung's hopes for Indonesia's future? Be sure to take a look at Todung's recently published book War on Corruption. An Indonesian Experience, published by Melbourne University Press. We thank Todung so much for joining us on the show this week.https://www.mup.com.au/books/war-on-corruption-paperback-softback
We've been waiting to welcome Lana Woolf onto Radical Australia for some time. We first became aware of Lana's work with storytelling at a homelessness forum organised by then named Moreland Council a number of years ago. Lana is now part of the 3CR family, joining the team on PX Whanau Radio, Australia's first and only queer pacifica program, broadcasting every Saturday afternoon at 1:30pm. Lana has had a full working life working with undermargianlised communities in Australia and overseas, as well as in deinstitutionalisation. Lana is well-known internationally for her work in LGBT research and is a mother to three kids. Lana has a lot of experience and skills to share with the 3CR community. Thanks so much for joining us on the show this week, Lana.PX Whanau Radio, Saturdays, 1:30pm - 2pmcommunitypoweredresponses.com@LanaWoolf (X)
We've got another guest on the blower from Queensland this week: Ian Curr. Ian was born in a private hospital and nearly died! Lucky for his Italian doctor, the only one in the state. Ian has got up to all sorts of activist mischief in his life, including preventing freeways. Check out 'The Battle for Bowen Hills' on Vimeo. Ian was a lifelong unionist during his working life, including at the Australian Tax Office where he worked for many years and took the Murdoch family to court. He was eventually fired during the Howard government over a cartoon he circulated in the office. Ian was also dismissed from community radio station 4ZZZ after 10 years on 'The Paradigm Shift'. Ian is a free thinker, that's for sure. He has just completed a virtual ride from Canberra to Cuba, raiding money, and produces podcasts at '4PR Voice of the People', the original Brisbane pirate radio since 1978. It is a podcast show about class, culture and country. He is prolific. Thanks for being our guest this week, Ian, and keep up your good work.4PR Voice of the People: https://4pr-voice-of-the-people.com/The Battle of Bowen Hills: https://vimeo.com/21222102 Workers Bush Telegraph: workersbushtelegraph.com.au
We had so much fun listening to this week's guest, Arthur Bolkas, who kept us on the edge of our seats with his tale of his armed robbing stint back in the day. Arthur was born in Carlton to parents from Lemnos, Greece, and was a top athlete in school, throwing javlin, and becoming both dux and school captain. He enrolled in Arts and Law at Melbourne University and the pressure started to mount. What happened next? This is the first of a two-part special with Arthur. We hope you enjoy the episode.
"What is the best use of me for the world?" So aks Jiselle Hanna from 3CR's Asia Pacific Currents, broadcasting every Saturday morning, who joins us this week and shares some of her life journey so far, from a childhood growing up in Coburg, where she and her sisters ruled the local pool, to a high school on the other side of town that changed her life. Jiselle has been on a healing journey for a little while. She tells us that she has been through some big political changes since the 1990s, where she felt her political perspective had become too narrow and where she broadened her view to encompass all those who suffer under capitalism. These days, Jiselle is a great Aunty, a public servant in the justice department, socialist and member of Australia Asia Worker Links. Thanks so much for sharing some of your life with us this week, Jiselle.Asia Pacific Currents, Saturdays, 9am - 9:30amAustralia Asia Worker Links: aawl.org.au
We were delighted to welcome 3CR legend, Robbie Thorpe, to the show this week for NAIDOC celebrations. It was a rare opportunity to hear some things about Robbie's life away from the mic and we learnt a few things about the great man. Robbie intended to be a sportsman and was a keen footballer and boxer before a trip to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy changed his life trajectory when he was sixteen years old. He felt he couldn't be a sportsman in a land on which his people were suffering, and the rest is history. Robbie shares his thoughts on 3CR's broadcast series Beyond The Bars and we also hear some of his reflections on loss. Robbie currenly helms three programs on 3CR, including The Black Block, Bunjil's Fire and Blak n Deadly. Be sure to catch Robbie on one of his shows for some sharp, sovereign analysis, great phone calls and cool music. Thanks a bunch for all you do, Robbie.The Black Block, Mondays, 11am - 12pmBunjil's Fire, Wednesdays, 11am - 2pmBlak n Deadly, Fridays, 11am - 12pm
We are delighted to welcome Brett Collins to this week's episode of Radical Australia. Brett has done some staunch work over the years campaigning for prisoner rights. These days that takes the form of rights to digital technology and communications. Brett heads up Justice Action, which grew out of a prisoner's action group, upon release from over 9 years' served in New South Wales penitentiaries in the 1970s. Brett learnt a lot about how to cope at a most basic level during his time inside, with many moments spent in isolation, some of that in black cells where he read the Bible in the sliver of light coming under the cell door. Justice Action hit its straps during the Hilton bombing campaign and it remains busy today staying connected to people though letter writing, getting people's voices out and campaigning for prisoner access to e-technology, in keeping with today's times. Hear about Justice Action's recent trip to Nairobi and Brett's views on the prison system today. We thank Brett so much for joining us on the blower from Sin City and for graciously sharing some of his life with us. Keep up your rascal ways, Brett. Thank-you for the staunch work you do.justiceaction.org.auBrigadier John Kebaso Warioba, Commissioner General Prisons Services, with Brett in Kenya, 2023
This week's guest on Radical Australia is a well-known and well-loved progressive activist who gets himself around the land quite a bit: Andy Paine. Andy says he has a restless soul and it has recently taken him to northern Iraq to witness some inspiring political action. A far cry from Mudgee, New South Wales, where Andy grew up with a bunch of other brothers and where radio was a link to a bigger world. Andy now finds himself at 4ZZZ in Brissie where he has been for 10 years and produces a show on Fridays called The Paradigm Shift, a show that envisions other possibilities. Andy got his activist straps during the Adani campaign where they lived a communal life on property near the site and disrupted works while modelling other kinds of community life, figuring out how they could work. Andy says he has had a good life full of adventures and has done many remote recordings along the way to capture them. Keep up the great work, Andy, and thanks very much for being our guest this weekThe Paradigm Shift I Fridays 12pm - 1pm I 4ZZZ I 4zzz.org.au/program/paradigm-shift
This week's guest, Donna Stolzenberg, has done some amazing things for Melbourne's homeless community. Donna began the Melbourne Homeless Support Group, organising the collection of blankets and sleeping bags across 80 drop-off points. She can tell you a thing or two about 'shit people give to the homeless'. Donna also began the Melbourne Period Project, orgnanising period packs through donations from organisations and individuals. Donna has learnt a lot in this journey about period poverty and how menstruation is still not a safe experience for all women in Australia. The Melbourne Period Project currently has 180 drop-off points. Back in time, Donna opened The Kala Space, an op-shop employing people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. She is the Managing Director of the National Homeless Collective and has raised 5 boys. Donna hails from Kalgoorlie. In 2021, she won the Victorian of the Year. She is a bit of a legend and a lovely person to boot. Thank-you so much for joining us this week, Donna, and thank-you for putting your knowledge, empathy and skills to the support of others.National Homeless Collective: nhcollective.org.au Radical Australia Radiothon WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE 2023 I DONATE NOW I www.givenow.com.au/cr/radicalaustralia3crradiothon
Our show notes tell us that this week's guest, Su Robertson, has done an enormous amount with her life in the community law sphere and elsewhere. Su began her working life as a flight attendant where she roamed the skies for over 19 years. During this time she was the State Secretary for the Flight Attendant's Union which she got involved in after living and working through the Pilot's Dispiute in 1989. This was a dispute over wages and conditions and pilots resigned en masse. Since then, Su has been a committed community lawyer, getting her articles of clerkship after uni at Fitzroy Legal Service before progressing on to the Environmental Defenders Office, various other community legal centres and now at the Consumer Action Law Centre who run programs like the National Help Debtline. Su keeps 3CR broadcasters safely within the borders of media law and is a well-loved trainer. Thanks for joining us once again, Su, and keep up your great work and passion for the grassroots.Done By Law, Tuesdays 6pm - 6:30pm Australian Pilot's Dispute:libcom.org/history/articles/australian-pilots-dispute-1989consumeraction.org.auNational Debt Helpline: ndh.org.au
Self-described sports nuffy, Patrick Morrow, is our latest guest on Radical Australia and we are so glad he could join us! Patrick was born in 1999, a Millenium baby, 3 months premature. Pat has certainly made up for that, rising now to a height well over 6 feet. Patrick is a producer on 3CR's Wednesday Breakfast and Talkback With Attitude when he isn't doing footy voiceover work in Geelong and calling games for the Essendon District Football League. With his love of both geography and sport, Patrick is soon heading over to Greece with his buddies to check out the origin site of the Olympics. Be sure to send us a postcard, Pat, and thanks so much for being our guest this week.3cr.org.au/wednesday-breakfast3cr.org.au/talkback
Our guest on Radical Australia this week is a lovely artist and activist who called in from beautiful Gympie, Queensland. Zela grew up in the gorgeous surrounds of Hervey Bay and was into progressive grassroots organising and activism from a young age. Zela was a member of the Self Management Group, a libertarian communist organisation and was a part of the 1970s Right to March movement. She created the Sisters of Mary performance trio who buoyed the activists during gatherings against the damning of the Mary River in 2007. An incredible popular front arose in that campaign during the Millenium Drought. Zela has a Masters of Environmental Education and is a potter. Make sure to check out some of Zela's beautiful artworks on her website. Thank-you for being our guest this week, Zela.zela.com.auSisters of Mary l-r Zela, Glenda Pickersgill, Joolie GibbsScenes from a Right to March protest, Brisbane 1977 c/o The GuardianZela with former Self Management group members who turned out for the Mary River protest 2007 l-r Zela, John Jiggens, Frank (Mirtek), Drew Hutton
We are joined in the studio this week by one of our charming receptioninsts, Grace Kelly. Grace has only been living in Australia and Melbourne for 18 months and has already found her way to 3CR. We're looking forward to seeing her 3CR journey. We thank Grace for sharing some of her life with us this week, including tales of many travels around the world and many interesting experiences. Grace is currenly halfway through the 3CR Introduction to Broadcasting course. We expect she'll be on the decks at some stage. Thanks, Grace!
This week's special guest, Margaret Kelly, is holding out on being evicted from her home on the Barack Beacon estate in Port Melbourne while the Andrews Labor government seeks to knock it down from under her feet. Margaret has lived on the estate for 25 years and says it is the friendliest place she's ever lived. The buildings are structurally sound and the rooms are spacious. This is nothing but the unnecessary destruction of a community, dispersed to the winds, and the sale of a public asset from under our feet. Margaret urges you to join her on the steps of Parliament House on Thursday May 11, 11:30am where she will hold a press conference before walking down to the housing minister's office, Colin Brooks. Dress in your Sunday best!In this episode, we learn about Margaret's life journey as an early IT worker in the early 80s, her lifelong post-viral illness, her early life in New Zealand and her time at Imperial College, England.For more information about Margaret's media conference visit: facebook.com/PublicHousingEverybodysBusinessAlso: news.psmedia.com.au/port-phillip/news/articles/13-04-23-barak-beacon/
Tune into this week's episode of Radical Australia if you want to hear what taxes are really about and just a hint: they're not about revenue for services, as much as we've been told they are. That's just one of the enlightening bits of economic juice you will hear from this week's guest, Kevin Gaynor, co-producer and presenter on 3CR's Friday afternoon show, Radio MMT, a show that puts progressive, macro economic theory into plain English so we can all understand it. Sounds like a great show and Kevin is a very engaging speaker! Kevin is one of 12 kids and grew up around Camberwell Junction, into rowing as a teen and he became a roadie at some stage, working with many Australian household rock n roll names in the 80s. Kevin is also a lighting technician and did the lights for Public Enemy when they toured. We had a great time listening to Kevin debunk some of the myths we hold on economics. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Kevin and make sure you check out Radio MMT sometime. Thanks for being our guest this week, Kevin.Radio MMT, Fridays, 5:30pm - 6:30pmProfessor Bill Mitchell: billmitchell.org
This week's guest, Holly Hammond, is the director of the Commons Social Change Library, a one-stop online directory of progressive Australian activism. Holly hails from Western Australia and was both a teenage trot and teenage anarchist, inspired by Marx at the age of 15. At age 29, she had an epiphany to dedicate her life to social movmement work and has done much with that since. Holly is a trainer and facilitator and created Plan to Win before starting the Commons. Holly has some good tips for creating successful activist groups. She trains activists for winning and how to take care of themselves along the way. It was a privilege to speak with Holly on the show this week. Keep up the great work, Holly.commonslibrary.org I plantowin.net.au
This week's guest, Lotti Stein, is a 3CR legend, coming to the station at the wee age of 21. Lotti was a sound technician, trainer and producer and is well loved. Lotti is a '77 baby and grew up in Melbourne tormenting their younger brother. They were a self-described 'weird child', being neurodivergent but not knowing what that meant back then. Lotti now raises a young daughter who is also neurodivergent and we had a good talk about what that all means. We hope you enjoy this week's conversation with Lotti.
This week's guest, Timothy Fitzgerald, has been a molecular biologist but is now an expert in intellectual property. In this episode we learn about Timothy's journey to starting thinking about the faults within parliamentary democracy and the lack of action by politicians on climate change. He started reading about imperialism, social democracy, Chomsky, anarchism, Social Ecology and Bookchin. Timothy now organises with Anarchists Against Poverty in Queensland. Thanks so much for joining us this week, Timothy. Keep up the great work.Anarchists Against Poverty Community Day, Townsville
This week's guest is Julie Mac who came down to the radio station to join us from Bendigo. Julie has compiled a book, SNAP, about the Australian teen sharpie, of which she was a proud one. Julie says the sharpies are misunderstood: they weren't criminals, they were teenagers who got around on public transport. They wore Stagger's jeans, did the pogo at the Crystal Ballroom, wore cardigans and got their shoes from Cosmano's in Collingwood. Talk about the beloved sharpie subculture is sure to be a hit with many listeners. Julie is now a social worker who grew up in Croydon. It was fun hearing about the sharpies and the bodgies and their dedication to their style. Julie has documented an authentically Australian working-class subculture in her book and we were so delighted to have her on the show. We hope you enjoy the episode and we thank the lovely Julie for joining us this week.Julie is also the author of the memoir RAGE: a sharpie's journal Melbourne 1974 to 1980SNAP is now available as an ebook on Amazon
On this week's show we welcome local Beaconsfield resident turned activist, Fran Healy, who came on to talk about her work campaigning for the protection of two gems in her community: the old railway house and the accompanying Bunya Bunya tree. The railway house was lovingly restored over 20 years by its previous owners and the Bunya Bunya tree is an ancient species, planted on this spot 144 years ago. Fran and friends have been active the past year since the announcement by Andrews Labor to disturb the site for level crossing work. In this conversation we begin by getting to know Fran and then she guides us through the campaign. Special mention to fellow campaigners David, Joan and Christie, as well as Graham and Anne Taylor from the Beaconsfield Progress Association. The campaign invites you to join them for a picnic on Sunday April 2nd, 12pm, to hug the bunya bunya and see its majesty for yourself. Let's hope the campaign is successful. We thank Fran for joining us and congratulate the group on all their hard work.
'Everyone has an imagination. Everyone has talent'. This week's wonderful guest on Radical Australia, Daniel Waters, lights the match of creativity to spark the fire of imagination among many diverse communities as an art group facilitator. Dan grew up with back-to-the-land hippies in 1980s Gippsland, playing football and cricket, before moving to select Art at Monash. He spent time in St Kilda's dive bars and pool halls and sold door handles before moving back to the country and getting into the NFP sector and taking up the art direction again. Dan currently works with people with spinal cord injuries and it was such a delight to welcome him to the show this week. Keep up the great work, Dan! We hope you enjoy this episode.
On this week's special International Women's Day broacast, Kelly sits down with 3CR media law trainer and broadcaster from Done By Law, Su Robertson, to learn about her formative years and reflections on growing up in her family. From a houseboat on the Parramatta River, to Perth and Melbourne, Su's father went where the work was in the aviation industry and Su followed in his footsteps by becoming a flight attendant before moving into law. We'll hear all about that in Part Two. We thank Su very much for being our gorgeous femmy guest this week. Good on you, Su. Done By Law - Thursdays - 6pm-6:30pm Su with Mum c. 1958
On this week's show we were delighted to be joined by guest Kia Zand. Kia is an Iranian exile living, loving and working in Narrm. He is a contemporary artist exploring the lens of colonialism and lives and breathes for the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. Kia shares with us the circumstances which led him to leave his homeland and delights us by singing an Iranian nursery rhyme. Kia was a lovely guest and we thank him very much for being our guest this week. We hope you enjoy the conversation.zand.com.auwomanlifefreedom.today
This week's guest, Latoya Hoeg, shares her story of growing up and coming to understand her identity as fa'afafine in both Wellington and Samoa. Latoya works as a peer community health outreach worker in St Kilda with the sex worker community and was recently involved in the new 3CR program PX Whanau. It was great hearing some of Latoya's life story and we thank her very much for being our guest this weekpacifiquex.com/pxwhanauPX Whanau Radio - Saturdays 1:30pm - 2pm
Chelsea Knight called us from cane country in Mackay where she lives with her daughter and where she grew up. Chelsea is a violinist and terribly nice person who works in the Anarchists Against Poverty network in Queensland, holding free shops and distributing goods to those who need them. It was great hearing about Chelsea's life journey to now and her philosophies on life. Thank-you, Chelsea, for being our guest this week and for the great work you do.@anarchynq (facebook) I anarchistsnq (instagram)
Jay Coonan works for the Antipoverty Centre and hails from Perth. He used to pull beers and once worked as a journalist in Myanmar. It was fun hearing about Jay's life journey thus far! Keep up the great work, Jay, and thanks so much for joining us this week.antipovertycentre.org I @antipovertycent
We were honoured to welcome Yorta Yorta elder Aunty Daphne Milward into the 3CR studios late last month to hear some stories about her full life of 26 jobs, 3 careers and bagging the 2022 Victorian Senior of the Year. Congratulations, Daphne! Aunty Daphne was born in 1940 around Mooroopna and spent her days on the Cummeragunja Reserve. Her great uncle was William Cooper and she also had an uncle in Pastor Doug Nicholls who she helped establish the Aboriginal Advancement League through donations and grants. The league established the first indigenous legal service and child care agency in Victoria. Daphne continues to keep productive with her art and with Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place, among other activities, and believes the key to a long, healthy life is to keep active in your community, such as through volunteering. We thank Daphne so much for joining us for this episode and for her daughter Karen for joining us as well.Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place - mmigp.org.au
Jacques Boulet is the co-presenter of 3CR's Think Again, produced by BORDERLANDS co-operative. Jacques was born and raised in Tongeren, the oldest town in Belgium, and received a classical education. He understands 12 languages. Jacques has spent his life in social work, community development and academia in Europe, the USA and Australia. He says the secret to a long, healthy life is to keep busy and to keep relating to all of life. We thank Jacques very much for being our guest this week.Think Again, Fridays 10am - 10:30amborderlands.org.auLocal Lives, Global Matters conference, Castlemaine 2015
This week's guest on Radical Australia is none other than Mr. Paulie Stewart, he of Melbourne band Painters & Dockers fame and recent producer of the memoir, All the Rage, a life recounted whilst waiting to either live or die in the Austin Hospital for a new liver. Paulie has done many things in his life, from being a music journalist for 30 years, to fronting bands The Dili Allstars and The Transplants, to committed activism for East Timor independence. In this conversation Pauile talks about the legacy wrought by his brother's murder at Balibo and shares his wonder at all the amazing people he has had the pleasure to meet and work with in his life. He is a very generous guy. We hope you enjoy this conversation and we thank Paulie very much for joining us this week. Dock on!paintersanddockers.com.au // @paintersanddockers
This week's Sumer guest is none other than Melbourne icon, Rowland Thomson, who started Melbourne queer bookshop and institution, Hares and Hyenas, back in 1991. The shop, now housed at the Victorian Pride Centre, has just celebrated its 31st birthday. Rowland grew up in country Victoria before moving to the big smoke and at some stage starting the Dizzy Spinners record shop, which went on to become the legendary Polyester Records. Rowland was also in the Little Band punk scene with the Beaumaris Tennis Club Quartet back in the day at the Seaview Ballroom and he can also lay claim to running up the Rialto. We thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Rowland and we hope you do as well. Thank-you, Rowland.hares-hyenas.com.au
We're really honoured to welcome this week's guest to Radical Australia, David Legge. David is a founding member of the People's Health Movement and was there during the introduction of community health centres during the Whitlam era. He grew up in the fields of Greensborough and went to uni amongst agitation against capital punishment. David read at the ANU for 5 years and somewhere along the way presented a health program on 3CR. He is involved in the Rubicon Forest Protection Group and believes activism really does call for thinking globally, and creatively, whilst acting locally. Thank-you for your lifetime's work, David, and for joining us this week.People's Health Movement: phmovement.org Rubicon Forest Protection Group: rubiconforest.org Twitter: @DavidGLegge
This week's guest was very entertaining and a delight to have in the studio: Charlie Hill-Smith - filmmaker, thespian, failed comedian, cartoonist and the list goes on. Charlie hails from Tanunda, South Australia, and his life changed forever when he went on exchange to Indonesia as a school-leaver, forging enduring links and opening his eyes to the people and politics of the region, eventually heading to West Papua and a hiking trip led by Dani guides where he got to meet the oldest farmers in the world. Charlie has led a colourful life, from starting Adelaide's longest-running comedy club, The Rhino Room, to spoofing as a food critic. He is currently launching Crime Scene Australia, a revisionist, gonzo comic book, in collaboration with 3CRs own Robert Thorpe. You will enjoy hearing some of Charlie's story and we thank him very much for being our guest this week.Crime Scene Australia - Edition One launches at Wolfhound Cafe, 386 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 6pm, Thursday December 1st 2022Charlies Youtube channel is called The House of Red Monkey
Harry Millward is our lovely guest this week on Radical Australia. Harry turns up week in, week out, on the steps of Victoria's parliament house advocating for public housing. During the pandemic he organised with others in the retail and fast food industry to get better health protections for workers and a campaign was begun with RAFFWU (Retail and Fast Food Workers Union). Harry hails from country South Australia and is a warm, genial person with excellent poltics. Thanks so much for being our guest this week, Harry.raffwu.org.au I @raffwu I aus.social/@harrym
From doodling caricatures of his primary school teachers to his call centre customers, this week's guest, Sam Wallman, is our much-loved socialist, political cartoonist here in Naarm, creating many wicked images over the years that tell our story of class struggle and the wonk of capitalism in glorious, poetic detail and striking imagery. Sam is a member of the Worker's Art Collective, creating visual art for the class struggle when he is not employed as a disability support worker. Sam is well-known to the 3CR community for creating a few of our magnificent Radiothon posters over the years and he does a lot of cartooning for unions. We were so pleased to welcome Sam on the show this week. We had some great laughs. Thanks so much for joining us, Sam, and for both the strength and giggles you give us through your work. Our Members Be Unlimited (2022)3CR Radiothon 20213CR 40th birthday (2016)facebook.com/wallmansam I @ourmembersbeunlimited (instagram) I @wallmansam (twitter) I patreon.com/samwallman
Kate Shaw was a runaway kid in Sandringham before becoming a bohemain type in post-punk St Kilda where she lived a good life on the Esplanade at the Mandalay apartments and at The Esplanade Hotel. Kate and friends witnessed firsthand the creep of global finance and property development in their seaside community, home and playground and started Save St Kilda. These days Kate is an academic who researches the commodification of culture. In this conversation with the fasinating Kate, we talk about the amalgamation of Melbourne's councils and voluntary-assisted dying, among other things. Kate has a lot of important things to share about her life and her work and so we have invited her back in the new year for a second-parter. We hope you enjoy this episode. Kate, Ian Rilen, Tony Biggs, Fred Farlowe and Fred Negro, c. 1989. Promo for an Espy benefit
This week's guest is Jacob Andrewartha, passionate activist and a Socialist Alliance national co-convenor. Jacob was turned on to activism through the Kevin Rudd 'PNG Solution' and hasn't looked back. His centre-left political orientation formed in a gaming world through contact with other gamers before he started joining others on campaigns. Jacob co-hosts Green Left Weekly on 3CR and when he isn't doing that and studying for his degree in English and History he is an early childhood educator. Jacob is the oldest of 11 children and was home schooled. These days he lives life according to his own values as an independent person. We thank Jacob very much for being our guest this week.Green Left Weekly I Fridays 7:00am - 8:30am I 3CR 855AM I 3CR DIGITAL I 3cr.org.augreenleft.org.ausocialist-alliance.org
David McLean was the Head of English somewhere in time and has been a teacher all his working life. David did a great job of explaining how right-wing governments have, over time, instilled a program of How To Screw-up Education 101 in Australia's education system, with the introduction of business speak and running teachers down to the ground. David is a writer and enthusiastic amateur actor, starring in Neighbours and writing a book titled Finding Coby about his neice's battle with teen depression. He really is a nice guy. David is currently introducing writing as relective practise to Epworth medical students which has illuminated the doubt felt, but formerly hidden, among medical students. Great work. David also co-hosts 3CR's book show, Published or Not, on Thursdays 11:30am. Thanks so much for being our guest this week, David, and keep up the great work.Published or Not: Thursdays 11:30am - 12pm | 3cr.org.au/publishedornotIn-verse reflection: structured creative writing exercises to promote reflective learning in medical students | Journal of Medical Humanities 43 (2022)
We are delighted to welcome this week's guest to Radical Australia, Sally Gibson. Sally is a powerhouse writer and all-round accomplished person currently running for political office in the seat of Brighton, an area close to her heart and in which she was raised. What hasn't Sally done? We were delighted to learn she wrote the synopsis for the television series The Dismissal (1983) and The Cowra Breakout (1984) and has held many different public service positions in her life, giving her a great wealth of knowledge and experience. Sally wrote her politics honours thesis on community radio and 3CR and it was wonderful to welcome her back after many years. Sally is keen to tackle corruption in the political system and to hear from ordinary people about their concerns. We wish Sally well in her campaign and thank her very much for being our guest this week.sallygibson.com.au I 0409 197 717 I team@sallygibson.com.au
Liza Dezfouli is one of those interesting people who have done a bit of everything in their life and who we love to speak to on Radical Australia. Liza is a Kiwi girl who made Melbourne her home at some stage of her life and has raised two boys in the security of a housing co-operative, originally through the Council of Single Mothers and their Children. Liza is an accomplished arts writer, poet and actress and treated us to one of her delightfully subversive poems, Dear Tom. Liza urges people to explore their creativity and find their joy. We thank Liza very much for joining us this week.Liza in UNHOWSED 2019, a play about older women and homelessness
This week's guest, Timothy Neville, is on indefinite bail here in Naarm and once broke into the world's largest coal port as part of Blockade Australia. Timothy has seemingly been a life-long activist, beginning with a plan to ban plastic at his primary school at age 8. Timothy has always been aware of the world's geo-political, economic and environmental problems and has always tried to make the world a better place, joining with others in activist activities around climate change, whistle-blowing, indigenous sovereignty to Julian Assange. In this conversation with Timothy we learn some things about the draconian activist laws which have come into effect in some states of Australia and Timothy's personal jouney to find justice in the world. Thanks so much for being our guest this week, Timothy.
From Manly to Wagga-Wagga to around the world and back, this week's guest, Michael Bible, has always gotten stick for his surname. Maybe that's payback for the times he used to ride around Wagga on his ponies and torment the priests and nuns. Michael is a former sports kid and, later, anthropogist who quit on grounds of 'cultural theft' and these days provides his policy nous to the West Papua Office in Docklands. He joined us this week to talk about the West Papua Office Open Day this Sunday, September 11th, from 1pm, where you will find Sophie Chao premiering her book In the shadow of the palms to the Melbourne audience. This book documents communities' survival among the palm oil industry. Should be a good afternoon. Michael is a '67 kid and has had a full life which you can hear all about in this episode. Thank-you for joining us this week, Michael. It was a pleasure to have you on.
We are really honoured to speak with anthropologist and author Sophie Chao on this week's Radical Australia. Sophie has recently had her award-winning book published, In the shadow of the palms. It takes readers on a jouney into the heart of the palm oil industry in West Papua, Australia's closest neighbour. Sophie will be joining us here in Naarm very soon at the West Papua Office in Docklands to launch her book to the Melbourne audience. An event not to be missed! As for Sophie's personal journey, she grew up in Hong Kong to a French mother and Chinese father before heading off to Oxford and getting into anthropology and the cause of Tibet. Then came interest in the indigenous rights movement which gradually led her to West Papua. We were really pleased to speak with Sophie and we thank her so much for sharing some of her life and passion with us this week. Thank-you, Sophie.West Papua Open Day Book Launch - Sunday 11th September 2pm - trybooking.com/events/landing/913101An arresting trailer for In the shadow of the palms can be viewed on the SOPHIE CHAO Youtube channel
This week's guest, Louise Cooper, is a prolific artist, involved in diverse and countless community arts projects across Victoria, from initiating the Dunolly Women's Historical Art Trail, to creating an Autistic Fashion Game to be screened at Melbourne Fringe Festival and authoring children's books such as Banjo Bilby's Small Schools Big Adventures. Louise is a sole parent to two boys, both with autism, and resonates herself with the Maori term Takiwatanga: in her own space and time. Louise is interested in social histories and exploring how where we live shapes who we are. She is a powerhouse. Thank-you for being our guest this week, Louise, and keep up the great work.socialhistory.com.au
This week's guest on Radical Australia is none other than Ajak Kwai, a well-known singer in Melbourne and host of 3CR's Ubuntu Voices, a program whose name means 'i am here because you are here'. It airs on Wednesdays at 8:30pm. Ajak grew up in South Sudan, running naked and barefoot among the trees and the cattle. Beautiful memories for her. Speaking with Ajak we learn about the war that came when she was 20 years old and its impact. Tasmania was the first place Ajak landed when she relocated to Australia and when she first stepped out onto the street she wondered where all the people were after living in busy Cairo for eight years. Ajak moved to Melbourne for the music and treated us to an ode to Tamworth. It's rather beautiful. We are sure you will enjoy learning about Ajak's life and hearing her reflections on being a black woman in this country, among other things. We thank her very much for being our guest this week. Ubuntu Voices - Wednesdays 8:30pm - 3CR 855AM
This week on Radical Australia we resume our conversation with Margaret Ryan, our second guest this year with an OAM. Margaret was there at the beginning of palliative care in Australia in the 1980s, a healthcare approach which puts the person first, disease second. She has worked with a lot of different communities throughout her long working life and knows something, too, about family tragedy. Margaret has a benevolence about life and says that if you want to do something in your life, you just have to get on with it and do it. She is such an inspiration. We hope you enjoy the second part to our conversation with her. Thanks once again, Margaret.
On this episode of Radical Australia we speak with the passionate, hardworking Taylor Wheeler from the Pink Paw Program, an organisation that is there for our beloved pooches and their human companions in times of need. You know what we mean - when people are at a loss as to how to care for their dog. That's when Taylor and friends at Pink Paw step in, providing that knowledge and support gained from years of study and practise dedicated to animal welfare. Taylor has always been around animals and really loves them, back to the times her Dad caught snakes and she was a nipper in the waters around Newcastle and loved Elvis. Taylor chats with us about what people should think about when bringing a dog into their life, the top reasons dogs are surrendered and dogs to consider based on your lifestyle. She really is a dog whisperer. We thank Taylor for being our guest this week and make sure you check out the Pink Paw Progam online. Thanks, Taylor.pinkpawprogram.org@pinkpawprogram
This week we roped in Jasmine Barzani to be our guest on the show. Jasmine is about to premiere her great little film about the 2016 Bendigo St housing occupation in Naarm. This was a special opportunity to go behind the scenes and get an appreciation of all the work involved in producing an independent film. Have a listen. bendigost.com
This week's guest, Jwala, is another political refugee from Queensland '78. Jwala is a co-producer on 3CR's Global Intifada, an anarchist music and news show when she is not busy organising with Vixen Collective, a peer sex worker organisation and being a strong voice in the community for drug user rights. Jwala has had a full life of travel and activism and was a great outspoken and entertaining guest. We are sure you will enjoy this conversation.Global Intifada, Thursdays 5pm - 6pm, 3CR 855AM@swersvictoria (Vixen Collective) (facebook)hrvic.org.au (Harm Reduction Victoria)hrvic.org.au/whack (WHACK! drug user magazine)
Maurya Borandanis was our guest this week on Radical Australia. Maurya hails from the USA but has lived in Australia longer. She is a performer who has spent the last few years enjoying finding her voice with numerous artistic enterprises in Port Phillip. Maurya experienced homelessness in her 50s after a long life in hospitality, from St Kilda's Whiskey a go go to Parliament House silver service and everything in between. She was recently in the film Some Happy Day about homelessness in St Kilda and is passionate about commuity and social networking. Maurya has a great spirit and we are sure you will enjoy her stories. Thanks for being our guest this week, Maurya.@voicesofthesouthside (Facebook)somehappydayfilm.com@CityOfVoices1992 (Facebook)
Kim Nicholas Pendergrast, or just Nick P, our guest this week on Radical Australia, hails from Perth and has been a vegan and animal rights advocate for many years. He currently co-hosts Freedom of Species on 3CR when he is not busy producing a podcast called Progressive Podcasts Australia with his partner Katie or lecturing in Sociology at le university. Nick is a great, smart guy and would like to see animal advocacy and change become more systemic, rather than relying on individual consumer choice. He's played ice hockey for many years and loves all the vegan eats in Melbourne, not to mention the great comedy. Thanks so much for being our guest this week, Nick. Keep up the great work!3cr.org.au/freedomofspeciesprogressivepodcastsaustralia
This week's guest, Adrian Farrugia, has packed a lot into his relatively young life so far, kicking trailblazing goals with his team researching the very interesting area of young people's drug use, drug education, stigma and related health issues. This research led to the development of the website overdoselifesavers.org, a resource capturing people's experience of drug overdose and the use of medication to revive them. He has also conducted research into Hepatitis C and the uptake of the revolutionary medication which now cures it. On this week's show you'll find us enjoying an interesting conversation with Adrian about all these things and we certainly learnt a thing or two. We hope you enjoy the show and we thank Adrian very much for being our guest this week.overdoselifesavers.org
This week's guest, Chris Quinlan, has had a full life. Growing up 'in the pub', first at The Prince of Wales in St Kilda and then Dan O'Connell's in Carlton in the 60's and 70's, Chris has been playing music since a teen and has been a teacher for a long time. His instrument of choice is the drums and he's had a long-running, weekly TV show on Ch 31 called 'Melbourne Musos'. These days, Chris is also a proud member of Musicians Australia, a union agitating for mandatory payment for gigging musicians and other fantastic things. It was great having Chris in the studio this week and we thank him very much for sharing some of his life's stories with us.@melbournemusostvmusiciansaustralia.org
This week's guest is Giles Fielke, a recent garden plot tenant at the Collingwood Children's Farm, one of 70-80 gardeners who have had the gate locked on them after many years of small plot gardening on Crown Land down by the Yarra. Giles poses the question 'what does Crown Land mean in the 21st-century?', like many interesting questions he poses as a smart, learned type. Giles had an eventful childhood living in Melbourne, Ballarat and New Zealand, among other destinations. These days he enjoys immersing himself in the local arts community and encourages anyone to become involved in things in their immediate environment. He reckons activism is more meaningful at the local level. Thanks so much for being our lovely guest this week, Giles.collingwoodcommunitygardens.org
As a member of Blockade Australia, this week's guest, Max Curmi, recently spent 4 months in jail for scaling a crane in Port Botany. He says that you shouldn't be afraid of people in jail. Max grew up in a housing commune in the Yarra Valley with parents who have always respected the land and from a relatively young age Max was looking for the best place to resist. He got turned on to direct action in Scotland and has never looked back, working on the Adani campaign and with Extinction Rebellion, learning how to use his body and collective power to disrupt. Blockade Australia are calling all those serious about survival to a series of events happening in Sydney late June. See the link for details. We thank Max for being our guest this week. Keep up the great work.blockadeaustralia.com
We're extremely honoured to welcome Margaret Ryan into the 3CR studios this week. Margaret is one of those wonderful people who has committed her life to helping others. She has always wanted to be a nurse ever since she bandaged her dollies as a wee one, progressing to community health in Broadmeadows and finally to Papua New Guinea after independence, the best years of her life, where she worked on the frontline training women, children, men and communities facing serious health and mortality issues to become self-sufficient in their healthcare needs. Margaret has a deep well of wisdom and knowledge about healthcare in PNG and a deep love for the place. Her life has been fascinating and full of spirit. We thank Margaret for being our wonderful guest this week. 'Changing Social Relations in remote Papua New Guinea'A talk and open discussion featuring Associate Professor Monica Minnegal.The first part of a series exploring the future shape of Australia/Papua New Guinea relationship as nearest neighbours.Friday June 3rd, 7pm - 8pm, 617 Nicholson St, Carlton NorthDrinks and nibbles provided. Free entry. COVID-safe event.Margaret and friends at a welcoming ceremony in Oamug vullage, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea, 2019
This week's guest, Peter 'Redgum' Roberts, is an environmentalist and self-taught propagator, a white bloke ruffling the feathers of the squatocracy with his adoption of the ancient practise of lighting fires. Robert has Authority Defiant Syndrome, like most of our guests, and was no teacher's pet, carving out his own unique life with his family, learning about and caring for our amazing natural world. He's come far since beginning his entry to the world at Queen Victoria Hospital in Melbourne. Thanks for the great, relaxed yarn, Peter. Keep up the good work.
It was a lovely treat to have this week's guest, Brendan Bonsack, in the studio regaling us with tales from his childhood in Macedon, including vivid memories of being caught up in Ash Wednesday. Brendan is a very talented person, being a poet, musician, film producer and co-host of 3CR's Spoken Word. This was a delightful, fun conversation we hope you enjoy. Thanks for being our guest this week, Brendan, and to treating us to a couple of your wonderful poems.Spoken Word, Thursdays 9:00am - 9:30ambrendanbonsack.com
Our guest this week is political beast, local government expert and temple builder, Sen, a familiar, friendly face on the 3CR reception desk and programmer since 1985. Sen shares with us the history of his land, Sri Lanka, before colonisation and after and the best times of his life working as an engineer in Zambia and Botswana. Sen has always been interested in politics and was always going to end up at 3CR after making Melbourne his home. Look out for his upcoming new show featuring the music of the Tamil language. Thank-you for being our lovely guest this week, Sen. We are lucky to have you at 3CR.
This week's guest couldn't come in as their boss didn't like the idea, so we revisited our 2016 conversation with supremo sound engineer, Lara Soulio. Lara's a great gal and shares with us the story of how she became one of those rare breed female sound engineers and how she came to work on 3CR's Burning Vinyl, putting live bands to air every Friday arvo. It was fun revisiting this conversation. We are sure you will enjoy it.
This week's guest is Stephanie Sabrinskas, a Lithuanian-Dutch rebel from Moe who is currently co-producing a documentary and accompanying podcast on life after coal in the Latrobe Valley. How good is that! Stephanie has always been a creative person and an animal lover and in this conversation she recalls memories of her time growing up with her family in Moe before moving to the big smoke and working in retail, sharing sharehouse dumps and palying in bands. Steph was born in 1988 and still has so much to do with her life. Thanks for being our guest this week, Steph. Listen to her podcast here:coalfacepodcast.com
This week's guest is none other than Aran Mylvaganam, currently running in the 2022 federal election to represent the Victorian Socialists in the senate. Aran shares with us the remarkable story of his life so far, from Tamil refugee to lifetime human rights activist. Aran's a lovely guy and we wish him all the best in the election. Make sure to listen to his story. He tells it better than us. Thanks so much for being our guest this week, Aran.victoriansocialists.org.au
On this week's show we welcome Vicky Vacondios, a community services teacher trainer who is passionate about making a better system based on her lived experience of accessing family violence and housing services as a single mum. Vicky has been a hard worker all her life after growing up in Broady with her Greek family. She became politicised after working as a peer for Council to Homeless Persons, educating service workers about homelessness from her lived experience. Vicky has written a manual based on her experience as both a consumer of and trainer in community services for workers. She is passionate about making sure lived experience is an important part of good service delivery. Thanks so much for being our guest this week, Vicky. You're a legend.
'Get out there and do it. Don't have a fear of failure. And listen to 3CR'. This week's Radical Australia guest, host of 3CR's Doin' Time, Marisa Sposaro, has been listening to the little radio station since she was a teenage rebel, curious about the world and eager to experience everything it had to offer. Maria was born blind and in this conversation she tells us about some of the curious little experiences she has had living in society as a blind person. Illuminating stuff. Marisa has been an activist for decades now and she has been at 3CR for about as long, these days presenting Doin' Time, a show covering prisoner rights, asylum seeker rights, migrants - women - and family violence and other topics that interest her. Marisa was a fun guest and gave us a good laugh. It was a pleasure hearing some of her life stories and we thank her very much for being our guest this week.Doin' Time, Mondays, 4pm - 5pm3cr.org.au/dointime
Born in Devonport in the year of Woodstock, we are delighted that Rose Turtle Ertler graced our shores this week. In case you didn't know, Rose is a humble but extraordinary artist, playing ukelele the past 22 years, some of that with the Black Orchid String Band, but having lived a full life immersed in artistic escapades, here in Australia and in Europe. These days Rose grows food back on the Apple Isle when she's not teaching the uke or performing on the mainland. Great gal. Thank you very much for being our guest this week, Rose. You're a legend.roseturtleertler.com@blackorchidstringband
On this week's show we are delighted to welcome Herb Patten, a gum leaf player extraordinaire who has been dedicated to the art since childhood when he started mimicking the sounds of the birds and wildlife around him. Herb grew up in East Gippsland near Orbost before going on to tuna fishing and spotting from the crow's nest. He's always had good eyes and this runs in the family. In this conversation, Herb takes us on a journey into his life of family and love, reminiscing on his late wife and the achievements they made such as establishing the Aboriginal Community Elders Services in Brunswick. Herb is a spritely 78-year-old and is looking forward to the future. It was a great privilege to have him as our guest this week. Thank-you, Herb.
On this week's show we welcome Margaret Bannan, a radical Catholic woman who has pretty much dedicated her life to advocating for the marvellous natural world we all share in. Margaret was born in Bendigo in 1948 and came home from the hospital in horse and carriage. When not looking after her eight siblings, Margaret always enjoyed sport and she went on to become a religious education teacher when she graduated high school. Margaret has raised five children, written a doctorate and many environment books for students and is involved with numerous environmental groups. She's a strong, hardworking lady. We thank Margaret very much for being our guest this week. Check out Margaret's iso book, Climate Change: the consequences of the changing climate may still take us by surprise.
3CR Thursday Breakfast and Women on the Line producer, Priya Kunjan, was our guest this week. Priya is one of those really smart people who excels in academia, currently researching their PhD on January 26th and media representation, but they already have a whole life of learning in anatomy and neuroscience behind them. Priya is enjoying their time at 3CR, having learnt the ropes pretty much throughout the pandemic and when they are not producing radio they like to cycle and feed people. That's nice. Keep up the most excellent work, Priya, and thank you for gracing our shores this week.Thursday Breakfast, 7am - 8:30amWomen on the Line, Mondays 8:30am - 9am
On this week's show we are extremely honoured to welcome the indefatigable Laurie Levy, a man who was there during the beginnings of whale rescue in Australia in the late 1970s and who has dedicated half his life to banning duck and waterbird shooting in Australia. Before his activism, Laurie was a cameraman at GTV9 when television began and worked alongside greats such as Don Lane and Bert Newton. He watched technology change before his eyes. Laurie is a bona fide legend and should be honoured, having achieved many great changes and mobilised many people to bring about justice to some of our fellow creatures on our lands and in our seas. We thank him greatly for being our guest this week.duck.org.au1993 Lake Buloke duck recoveryFreckled duck2018 Lake Cullen
The Popcorn Princess. That's what we can also call this week's guest, Bree Taylor, the founder of Melbourne Duck Save. Bree was born in '77 Melbourne and she's really good at 'The Claw', winning many stuffed toys and such courtesy of the teachings of her grandfather. Bree has been a union organiser and has worked on campaigns for the Greens. Before that she was on a healing journey for a while after quitting alcohol. These days she likes to keep fit, eat well and rescue ducks. She's a good gal. Thank you for being our guest this week, Bree.November 7, 2019 Melbourne Duck Save's first public rally@melbourneducksave
This week's guest is Tjiwarl mother, grandmother and activist, Vicky Abdullah. Vicky joins us on the blower from the side of the road on country as she looks over a mining dump. Vicky has always been caring for country and learnt this from her mother. Her father was a cammalier from Queensland and Vicky grew up going from station to station. In her early adulthood, Vicky set out on her own, travelling to and through many different communities in the Kimberley and Pilbara, hearing and learning many different languages. She loved it. Vicky is a staunch anti-uranium and anti-mining activist and is well known across the continent. She can't wait to get back to Melbourne. She really loves it here. Thank-you very much for speaking with us this week, Vicky. We hope to see you in Melbourne down the track.Vicky stands with her Aunties Shirley and Lizzie Wonyabong
This week we get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the private life and upbringing of Pas Forgione, one of the hardworking activists fighting for the rights of low income people everywhere, but in Adelaide, as part of the fantastic anti-poverty network. When Pas isn't doing awesome work elevating the voices of people on Centrelink, he loves getting away to New Zealand and hiking its southern island mountains. We love your work, Pas. Keep it up! Thanks for being our guest this week.antipovertynetworksa.org'Liveable Incomes for All' rally, March 2021, Parliament House, Adelaide
Our special guest this week, Alison Broinowski, has initials after her name. Is that a first for the little radio show?.. Alison, who turned 80 years young recently, has lived a rather marvellous life travelling the world with her husband as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs, at a time when women were few and far between, and has lived and learned in countries as diverse as Myanmar, Iran, Philipines and Korea. Alison knows her stuff when it comes to Australia's relationship with Asia and has led a full life as a diplomat, writer, lecturer and journalist, to list a few of her capabilities. Alison grew up in Adelaide and is now the president of Australians for War Powers Reform. We thank Alison for being the first cab off the rank this year. Thank-you for your time, Alison.warpowersreform.org.au
A Summer Special, 'Limerick Fightback', with Canberra Corresponent, Kerry Crossley. Listen as Kerry covers everything from politics to space by way of a limerick. She's a marvel!
This week's guest, and returning guest at that, is Adele O'Connor. Adele has written a PhD on the complex, nerver-ending history that is Indonesian populism and oligarchy. In this conversation she speaks about the history of Indonesia, including the involvement of the Dutch East India Company when the islands where known as the Spice Islands. Adele's reserach involved her travelling to Indonesia and getting interview access with interesting interviewees. We hope you enjoy the listen. Great work, Adele.
Barrie Sutherland started taking pictures of the surf at Bells, year after year, in the 70s, with his family living just up the road in Torquay since the 40s. If anybody has seen Torquay change over time, it's Barrie, and he has strong views about it. On this week's show, Barrie speaks fondly of his parents and recalls the time his father came home from war as he watched him walk up to the house through the kitchen window. Barrie was a keen footballer back in the day and went on to train as a civil engineer. He is proud of his Scottish ancestry and urges anyone to follow their passion in life. We thank Barrie for being our guest this week and for the images.watermarksphotogallery.com.au
On this week's show we welcome Prue Licht, a Grandmothers for Refugees activist who spent 25 years and many long hours working in the welfare system, predominantly with women and families. Prue originally hails from England but has lived here in the Dandenongs ever since she arrived on these shores in the 1970s. Prue was involved in the amazing No Macca's in Tecoma campaign a few years back and is now very passionate about the rights of refugees here in Australia. Prue's advice for life is to 'be critical' but also 'be kind'. We like it. Thank-you for sharing some of your life with us, Prue. Keep up the good fight.grandmothersforrefugees.comCasey Grandmothers for Refugees will be at the office of Tony Smith, Federal member for Casey, on Friday 10th December, International Human RIghts Day, 1 Eastridge Drive, Chirnside Park, 2pm Refugee Action Collective will be at the Park Hotel, Lincoln Square, Carlton on the same day at 6:30pm
'Question everything'. That's the motto this week's special guest, Maria Millers, has lived by ever since she was turned onto philosophy many moons ago. Maria was born in Harbin in 1937, a Russian city in the far north-east of China, to a family of Russian intellectuals in a time of Japanese occupation and has lived in Australia since she was a babe. Maria is an extraordinary person who has lived a full life rasing seven children whilst pursuing a life of communication - from writing, editing, teaching and radio broadcasting to founding the Woorilla Poetry Prize in the Dandenong Ranges. It was a treat to have Maria as our guest this week and we are sure you will enjoy her story. Thank-you, Maria.woorilla.org.au
On this week's show we have a soulful conversation with journalist, radio broadcaster and sound engineer, Kirstyn Lindsay, currently working with First Nations Media. KIrstyn hails from Logan City, Brisbane, and got her early learnings in listening at Musgrave Park among its Murray elders. Spending time in Sydney's anarchist, punk and feminist circles before living and learning in Melbourne for 20 years, KIrstyn has recently returned home on her long healing journey. She encourages everyone to find their magic, what they are good at. Not bad advice for a former 'bad apple'! It was a treat having Kirstyn on the program this week. We hope you enjoy the episode. Thank-you so much, Kirstyn.
John Lawrance was our special guest this week on Radical Australia. John has been a musician and theatre actor for many years in and around St Kilda and he shared with us the story of how he became an orphan at the tender age of six for the next ten years of his life. John told us how it was a crystal set radio that eventually saved his life after many years of not wanting to live and how he has made his life a life of music and creativity. It was an honour to hear John's story and we thank him greatly for being our guest this week.Listen to John talking about his latest album on Planet X: 3cr.org.au/planetx
On this week's show we welcome the charming Sasja Sydek, co-host of 3CR's Behind Closed Doors, a show which explores the world of sex work. Sasja is a trans woman of colour hailing from Singapore who has been jailed many times for simply being who she is. She is the co-founder of Trans Sisters United and Trans Pride March Melbourne as well as turning her hand to short film production of late. Sasja is a total fashion tragic and speaks four languages. One sassy, smart cookie right here. We thank Sasja for being our lovely guest this week. Here are some links to her activities:Behind Closed Doors, Thursdays 6:00pm - 6:30pm, 3CR 855AMA love letter to my mother, a short film, November 13 - November 27, smallwonderarts.org
This week we learn more about (and unmask!) the mysterious Innez Tulloch, who is currently filling the shoes of the Volunteer and Training Coordinator here at 3CR. Her snake-filled upbringing in Rockhampton comprised a bookish childhood and some rebellious teenage years, always driven by her natural propensity for music, where playing at their various live venues earned comments such as "chicks with guitars...don't tell my daughter!". Ditching Rockhampton halfway through her BA, she moved to the bright lights of Brisbane, landing smack bang in the middle of their DIY live music scene. Around this time of active grassroots community-building, she began (as many of us do) volunteering as a receptionist at a community radio station - Brisbane's 4ZZZ, eventually with a brief stint as acting station manager. Meanwhile, the musical side of life continued within the small but diverse and supportive Brisbane music scene, leading to live mixing gigs and international tours with her band to the US, Europe and Japan. Finally, Innez moved to Melbourne moments before our perennial lockdowns, but thankfully loves the place (and will hopefully stick around for a while to come). We thank Innez for being our wonderful guest this week and cannot wait to see her play a live show!Check out Innez's current musical project Thigh Master, in which she plays guitar and keys:https://thighmaster.bandcamp.com/
Early busker, wannabe photographer, musician and faithful Melbournite - what doesn't this week's guest, Dean Lombard, not do? Born into a family of Queensland Italian cane cutters, Dean was a sensitive young person who liked writing and became a busker in 1980s Melbourne, entertaining the punters after hours. Learning a lot about people and the world during this time lead Dean to eventually get social work qualifications and he has been a policy advisor tackling structural disadvantage for numerous not-for-profits. Dean is currently busy playing in three bands, being a Dad to two kids and generally being an awesome guy. He's also really looking forward to some post-lockdown gigs.We thank him for being our guest this week.https://deanlombard.com.au/http://deanlombard.bandcamp.comhttp://deanlombard.bandcamp.com
What an amazing gal our guest this week, Fiona McWhirter, is. Fiona was diagnosed with a rare blood disease last year and is extraordinarily busy living her life to the full for herself, her family and community up in Rocky. What doesn't she do?! An activist in the political, health and environmental spheres, Fiona is a champion person and was recently awarded the Courage Award from the MDS Foundation in the US. It basically means she's a legend. So much so that Joe will nominate Fiona for a Eureka Australia Medal this year, the first time he has announced such an honour on the show. We thank Fiona for being our wonderful guest this week and to her partner, Craig, for putting her up. Here are some links to Fiona's activities: healthyfutures.net.aumds-foundation.org
On this week's show we were treated to a few poems from poet and writer, Rob Wallis, a lifelong teacher who grew up in 50s Australia, a time when being queer was taboo and hardly any positive representations abounded. Rob was a bonded teacher before breaking out into adult teaching for many years, teaching many different subjects to all kinds of people. He is a bona fide teacher's teacher. These days Rob spends his days in Castlemaine writing poetry and sometimes pottering around his garden. Rob's sixth book is a poetic history of the gay male experience in Australia, focussing in on particular instances and people, titled 'Down Rainbow Road', published by Clouds of Magellan Press. We thank Rob very much for being our wonderful guest this week.robwallispoetry.com
This week's guest, Clovis Mwamba, was a human rights activist kidnapped and tortured under the dictatorship of Mobutu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after it gained freedom from Belgian colonisation in 1960. Clovis grew up in what he describes as an apartheid system in the mineral-rich, eastern Katanga province in a free-thinking household from where he went on to study psychology and other disciplines to come. In this episode, Clovis paints a picture of what it was like on that day back in 1960 when the people chanted 'Vive le Lumumba' for its indepenence leader, Patrice Lumumba. Clovis came to Australia in 2007 as a political refugee with his wife and seven children. We thank him for being our guest this week and we will have him back in the not-too-distant-future as there is more to know about Clovis' life. Thank-you, Clovis.
On this week's show we were thoroughly entertained by the co-producer of 3CRs slick current affairs program Uprise Radio, Jackson McInerney. Jackson was born in the old Jessie McPherson hospital where the skate park used to be in the city. Then the family moved to Yuendumu before returning to Melbourne. Jackson has been telling porkies from an early age and has loved the arts for about as long. These days he disseminates early-morning poetry to his colleagues in his IT job, is busy raising a two-year-old babe and really misses dinner parties where he can be found engaging in those frank discussions others try to avoid. We like it! Jackson was a very entertaining guest and we thank him for being on the show this week.Check out Uprise Radio, every Wednesday fortnight at 5:30pm - 6pm.3cr.org.au/upriseradio
On this week's show we revisit a conversation from late in 2019 with legendary Australian filmmaker, David Bradbury. David is a self-taught documentary filmmaker with a swag of films and awards under his belt in a career spanning 40+ years. Check out David's film archive at frontlinefilms.com.au We are certain Radical Australia and 3CR listeners alike will find something they like. On this week's show, David and Joe have a sprightly conversation because they are both old baby boomer hippies and we are treated to a few stories and anecdotes from David's life. Thanks once again, David. frontlinefilms.com.au
On this week's Radical Australia we spoke with Ajan, a 3CR brekkie stalwart, trainer and producer of Diaspora Blues, a 2020 show that focuses on black and CALD people and stories. Ayan understands a thing or two about borders and boundaries and knows what it's like to feel alone, having grown up as an African Muslim in Australia. She speaks eloquently about trying to find her place in the world and what it was like as a child back in her mother's homeland of Somalia when she didn't have to think about her colour. These days Ayan has found her passion at 3CR and does whatever she can to make others feel at home, having runs on the board producing both Tuesday Brekkie and Women on the Line. A definite 3CR keeper. Thank you so much for gracing us with your loveliness this week, Ayan, and congratulations for nursing your new show remotely through the pandemic. A great effort. Diaspora Blues: Mondays, 2:30pm - 3:00pm
This week's guest is Dr. Greg Poulgrain, a well-known lecturer on Southeast Asian history and friend to the West Papua Office in Docklands, Melbourne. On this show we find Greg in conversation about his new book, 'JFK vs Allen Dulles: Battleground Indonesia'. Thank you for joining us, Greg.
We are delighted to welcome 4ZZZ community radio stalwart Blair Martin onto the show this week. Blair is a Shakespearean thespian from Rockhampton who has loved the theatre since he was a teenager and he has a beautiful voice. Blair wears many hats at 4ZZZ from coordinator of its niche digital program grid to trainer and producer/host of 'Queer Radio', the world's longest running radio program of its kind, right there in Brisbane. Check it out. Thanks for tickling our ears with your rounded vowels, Blair, and for keeping up the faith in Queensland. It was a pleasure having you as our guest this week.4zzz.org.au/program/queer-radio4zzz.org.au/grid/ZDBlair as Hagrid from Harry Potter
Calling in from the dead centre of Melbourne, on this week's show we welcome the intriguing and disarming Barbara Hall. Barb is a member of the West Papuan Rent Collective in Melbourne and grew up roaming the streets and waterways of Williamstown. In this conversation, Barbara muses on her early life with her parents as well as her time as a teacher. She extends a warm welcome to one and all to the West Papua Office Open Day in Docklands, Sunday 19th Septermber 1pm - 4pm, for the launch of Greg Poulgrain's new book 'JFK vs Allen Dulles, Battleground Indonesia'. Be sure not to miss it. Thank-you, Barb, for being our guest this week.dfait.federalrepublicofwestpapua.org
On this week's show, yet again in a COVID-19 lockdown, we welcome Jasmine Barzani, a Melbourne filmmaker currently producing a movie about the 2016 #bendigost homelessness and housing campaign in Naarm. Be treated to a sweet conversation with Jasmine about climbing mountains in Kurdistan, the origin of the lamington and the meaning of having gold teeth, among other fascinating things. Jasmine is currently very busy bringing her exciting film to audiences and could do with a hand from the community to get it complete. Hit her up if you can help. Thanks for coming on the show, Jasmine. We are looking forward to your movie!https://ipcs.org.au/bendigo-st/ bendigostdocumentary@gmail.com
This week we're delighted to welcome Brian Laver onto the show. Brian is a long-standing anti-war activist and anarchist from 1960s UQ. He is the Director of the Institute for Social Ecology and has been a part of the fabric of Brissie's radical community for a very long time. In this conversation we find Brian reflecting on his time in Prague '68 and as an international tennis coach, just down the road from Trumpy's place. What a life. Our words don't do him justice - best let Brian speak for himself. Thanks for coming on the show, Brian, and we look forward to you gracing us again once your autobiography is complete. Cheers, mate!
This week, scraping the bottom of the barrel, Joe interviews Rad Oz's very own producer, Kelly Whitworth. How did she ever get tricked into this? In any case, Kelly talks about her time with the Homeless Persons Union Victoria (HPUV) and the work they did elevating the voices and issues of homeless peers, including the #bendigost and #nohomelessban campaigns in Melbourne. Joe also interrogates Kelly about different parts of her life and shows how out of touch he is with middle-aged people. Silly old man. We hope you enjoy this one-off. Kelly prefers sitting on the other side of the desk. All in good fun, we hope you enjoy this week's show.#nohomelessban #bendigost
On this week's show we are delighted to have Sally join us from the bush. Growing up in a politicised family, Sally was an early debater and once stopped Pauline Hanson's election bus at the school gates. That was her first taste of the rush of direct action. Sally is a trained educator and has taught both in Australia and in Europe. She knows the value of care for self and others in the struggles of political activism and her insights have lead her to train as a hypnotherapist. Sally has tapped into her own self-power and healing and currently enjoys paddle boarding on the Murray. We thank Sally for sharing some of her life with us this week and being a gracious guest.
Compulsive artist, musician, storyteller, raconteur, poet: welcome to this week's episode of Radical Australia featuring second-time guest, Mr. Tony Millman. A honey-voiced wordsmith, on this week's show you'll find Tony and Joe engaged in a free-wheeling conversation about everything from art, modern society to living free. Tony also brought in his guitar and treated us to two live numbers: an original inspired by last week's NAIDOC guest, Jack Charles, and the other a rendition of Bonnie Parker's 'Billy the Kid'. Be sure to have a listen. Tony is a prolific musician and will premiere a folk-opera based on Bonnie & Clyde at the end of this month in Richmond. Check out all the links for further details. Thanks for entertaining us today, Tony. It was a treat. tonymillman.com
What can we say about this week's guest, Eirene Tsolidis Noyce? A force to be reckoned with, that's for sure. Eirene is the inaugural secretaty of the Renters and Housing Union (RAHU), Melbourne's new union born in the fire of the 2020 Rent Strike at the beginning of COVID-19. Hailing originally from Moonee Ponds, Eirene played piano from a young age and eventually discovered blues, playing in a range of groups before moving to New York and learning first hand what it's like to live in a country without a safety net. Eirene has given her time to and supported different actions over the last 10 years, from Occupy Melbourne to the Djap Wurrung Embassy and is a super smart, articulate and thoughtful person now raising hell for slumlords across the city! It was great having Eirene on the show and we hope you enjoy her story. Thanks, Eirene!
A lifelong 'fish out of water'. That's how this week's guest, Chris Lynch, desribes himself and when you hear him talk about his journey on planet Earth thus far it's not hard to understand why. Chris spent his formative years growing up in Papua New Guinea and had, by all accounts, an idyllic childhood, engrossing himself in the world of books and faraway places. He has travelled a bit, once walking the entirety of Japan, from south to north, growing a beard. Fast forward to the present day and Chris now finds himself based in Melbourne, teaching English as a second language, writing and volunteering his time to the West Papuan liberation movement. Chris was a lovely guest and it was great to have him on the show this week.Thank-you, Chris!chrislynch.com.au dfait.federalrepublocofwestpapua.org/document'Land of the Morning Star' film screening, Sunday 27th June, 2pm, 838 Collins St, Docklands
This week's guest is Dean Lim, 3CR broadcaster on 'Behind Closed Doors', a peer sex worker show kicking goals since its inception just 2 years ago. Dean has many years experience as a male-to-male sex worker and is a sex positive individual who has lived a thoughtful life learning about himself and others. A great peer educator and broadcaster, no doubt! Dean currently supports other male-to-male sex workers through volunteer outreach and loves getting into a good bit of reading. He also saw Princess Diana once in London. She drove past in a car and had beautiful blue eyes. Dean was a lovely guest with a great laugh and we learnt a lot. We thank Dean for being our guest this week.Behind Closed Doors / Thursdays 6:00pm - 6:30pm @BCD3CR (FB)@BCD3cr (Twitter)@bcd3cr (Instagram)
This week's guest, Matt Costigan, is a firebrand. He stands up to those who would try to exploit and those who try to lord it over. A golf enthusiast since childhood, Matt has had some success as a competition golfer in Victoria and knows the difference between private and public golf clubs! A self-educated person who has been inspired by the works of Chomsky and Pilger, Matt has striven to be free and true to himself for the last 15 years under an involuntary community treatment order. Matt's advice for others is to also stay true to themselves and 'stay interested'. We like it. Thanks, Matt, for being our lovely guest this week. 'Situation Room' by Something for Kate has a special meaning for Matt. You can watch the video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t2pM2z3tY0
This week's conversation with Charandev SIngh was raw, beautiful and powerful. It had a profound effect on us. We were deeply honoured to hear Charandev share some stories about his life, from Malaysia to Melbourne and beyond. A street-trained paralegal, Charandev has used his own difficult experiences as a child to care for others for the last 30 years. As he tells it, he has been 'walking with mob' throughout this time, learning and supporting families victims of state violence.Thank you, Charandev.This episode contains content that some listeners may find upsetting. If you are affected by the show, please reach out to the following support services:Blue Knot Foundation / blueknot.org.au / 1300 657 380 Lifeline / lifeline.org.au / 13 11 14 Here are some links Charandev recommends:dhadjowa.com.au#JusticeforFella (gofundme)flatout.org.auIncarcerated Trans & Gender Diverse Community Fund (gofundme)
It's always an honour to have an elder on the show and this week is no exception. Max Ogden, born in 1938, was a youngster during WWII and remembers camping and hunting rabbits with his father in Epping. An apprentice fitter and turner in the good old days, Max played for Preston in the VFA and has been a lifelong trade unionist. A long-time member of the Communist Party, these days Max is a short story author who has released a book titled ' A long view from the Left', a memoir of his time in Australia's trade union movement and the colourful characters he knew. It's always a treat to hear stories about the Australia of yore and we thank Max very much for being our guest this week.
On this week's show we welcome the thorougly nice and thoughtful person, along with exciting political artist, Van T Rudd. Hailing originally from Nambour, Queensland, Van grew up doodling in his school books, surfing and playing 'the world game'. Moving on to study humanities and partying at university, Van had quite a long sting playing in bands in both Queensland and Melbourne. These days, Van enjoys much admiration for his wicked public installations which get right to the heart of the absurdities, corruption and lies inherent within both the political system and capitalism. If you're not familiar with Van's work you must check it out! We thank Van for being our guest this week and sharing some of his formative years with us. It was a real pleasure. Keep being radical, Van!Here are some links Van recommends and to his own sites:van-t-rudd.net / facebook.com/van.t.rudd / @van.nishingSocialist Alternative: sa.org.auVictorian Socialists: victoriansocialists.org.auWorkers Art Collective: @workersartcollective
This week we invite you to be our guest on the show by looking back through the Radical Australia archives and talking about just what the show is all about. We look forward to you joining us.
What a delight to have Mini Miller, aka Racerage, as our guest this week. A childhood spent moving around quite a bit, Mini ended up at the end of her teens as dux of her high school. Impressive! Graduating with an ENTER score of 99.1%, Mini went on to study communications and eventually social work. For the last few years Mini has been the rap queen of Collingwood, finding home and communiity there. We had a lot of laughs speaking with Mini. We're sure you'll enjoy the show. Here are some links Mini would like to share:FB and Twitter: @raceragerhymes / soundcloud.com/racerage / @satellite_skies / 3cr.org.au/satelliteskies
It was fantastic to welcome Ric, aka Pope Fred, onto the program this week. A great guest. What can we say about Ric? He's a spoken word poet, insurrection anarchist, human biology graduate and a Discordia enthusiast, amongst other things. A very interesting person, making for an entertaining conversation. We thank Ric for being our guest this week.plastique-poetry.blogspot.comirlinfoshop.org / @irlinfoshop
We were really honoured to have John Smyth on the show this week. John is a 3CR stalwart, having been invovled in the station since its inception in Armadale. A very long time indeed! John has a breadth of knowledge about all the technical 'stuff' that goes into broadcasting radio and for a long time carried out many of 3CR's outside broadcasts. John has also been hosting 3CR's 'Jazz on a Saturday' during this whole time. He really is a legend. Thanks so much, John, for coming on the show.
We welcome Mark Spartacus onto the show this week. An anti-authoritarian from day one, what's not to love about him? Oh yeah - he's also a real estate agent renegade. One that actually helps tenants. He's one of the good ones. A good egg, you could say. He's also really funny. Mark came on the show and filled us in on how things are playing out with Victoria's COVID-19 era rent moratorium. Thanks, Mark! Mark recommends these links for assistance with your rental questions:tenantsvic.org.au (Tenants Victoria)
We were really honoured to have Lanz on the show this week. Lanz knows a thing or two about housing and homelessness and has been active for many years in this space. You may have heard about Lanz through the street kitchen and tent city in Sydney's Martin Place a few years ago. Lanz continues to live on the streets to this day and is active working with people and groups across the country. We thank Lanz for coming on the show.
John is a veteran Queensland journalist, among wearing many other hats, and is the author of a new book titled 'Jessie's House of Needles'. It is a story of a courageous missionary nurse working in West Papua who established a network of village medics and midwives. We thank John for coming on the program. If you would like to know more about John's book, take a peek at Booktopia (booktopia.com.au).
Wow - what an amazing person Jill is! A Canadian by birth but a truly committed Australian since 1995. Jill has had a full life, that's for sure, and now she sponsors asylum seekers to get to Canada from Manus. To freedom. She's a bit of a legend and an inspiration. We're sure you'll enjoy this conversation. Here are some links Jill recommends:https://chuffed.org/project/khan8yearsprisonpnghttps://www.northernlightscanada.net/about/team-canada
Our lovely guest this week is Hal Peck, At just 97 years young, Hal has lived a full and varied life. What hasn't this man done? An engineer, architect, designer, prolific reader....it was a pleasure hearing some things about Hal's long and productive life. We're sure you'll enjoy meeting him too.
Ray Bennett, seated right, at the #bendigost homelessness and housing occupation, Collingwood, Melbourne, 2016
Shae Anderson is a peace activist. He is passionate about his family, nonviolent intervention (bystander training), online privacy and security for activists. Here are some links he recommends: Brisbane Arms Fare (June 2021):facebook.com/SwanIslandPeace / @SwanIslandPeacewagepeaceau.org / facebook.com/wagepeaceau South Pacific Christian Anarchists:facebook.com/groups/322467914462637
The Boldness presenter Raphael talks with Joe about his experience with centrelink robo-debt.
Showie gone local, psychologist and community activist Suzy Larkins, petitioning for increased domestic violence offender accountability.change.org/p/federal-government-domestic-violence-one-law-across-australiachange.org/p/justice-for-alicia-little
CALL OUT FOR GUESTS FOR 2020Finding themselves guestless, Joe and Dale discuss all manner of interesting things, not least of all, the many benefits that come with joining us in the studio and being a guest on 3CR's Radical Australia. Call the station, during business hours, on 94198377 to sign up and become part of our Radical Australia family! Or contact Joe directly via text on 0439 395 489Join us in 2020!
For the last show of the year, musician and activist Carl Panuzzo shares his music with us, including and Ode to Joe!
Joe speaks with David Mackay on the steps of Parliament House about his hunger-striking for climate change.
Beyond Zero Emissions producer Vivien Langford, featuring an interview Vivien had with David Bleakley, a hunger-striker for climate action.
Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) member and Knitted Knockers volunteer Pam Youngknittedknockersaustralia.com
Aquired Brain injury survivor, advocate and motivational speaker Brenton AlfordBrentalford.com
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weaponsicanw.org.au / @nuclearban / @icanw.au / @ican_australia
This year's Radiothon show- talking about our guests over the past year. See how hard we work to reach our target of $1000! Feel free to continue to donate to 3cr Community Radio and help radical radio broadcast for another year!
After a last minute cancellation, Joe and Dale rabbit on and invite you to come and be a guest on Radical Australia. Further information on the education funding topics Dale touched upon can be found at the DOGS website- www.adogs.info
Leigh Roe Schneider tells her story: a personal journey to commited activism with a message of peace and individual action for solidarity.
Alice Bragg comes from a Union family and has worked with HAAG - Housing for the Aged. Her activism is imformed by personal experience.
West Papuan Independence Activist O'Neil WaromiCome to the 'A Message To Indonesia- STOP THE KILLING IN WEST PAPUA' Rally on Thursday 4th of October, Indonesian Consulate, St Kilda Rd
Australian Council for the Defence of Government Schools (DOGS) member and public education advocate Jean Ely
This week Joe and Dale discuss why Radical Australia began on 3cr, why it's important for those active within their communities to have their voices heard and invite listeners to join us in countering the negative mainstream images of activists by putting the true human voices of political activism on air. Call 3cr on 94198377 if you'd like to join us.
Radical Australia 29-11-17 On todays programme Joe speaks with the very interesting Robyn Vote she tells us all about her life and an upcoming event Sampari 2017, A West Papua Celebration, Art Exhibition and Public Event Friday 8th December 6pm at the ACU Artt Gallery: 26 Brunswick St Fitzroy.
Educator and activist with the DOGS- the Australian Council for the Defence of Government SchoolsCheck out the DOGS website at www.adogs.info
The Australian Council for the Defence of Government Schools (DOGS) education activist Robert Ely www.adogs.info
Radical Australia 16-8-17 Today Joe talks with ex-3cr programmer Jim Cusack. join us.....
Due to the absence of our scheduled guest, today we opened up the phone lines and invited listeners to call in or text.
Radical Australia 31-5-17 On todays programme Joe is joined by guest Cam Walker, a member of the "Dirt Radio" team. He has worked at FOE for the past 28 years and has been a activist across many decades. . Badgers Creek . Franklin river dam blockade . Alaska . Anarchism .Squatting . Teaching . Ward orderly . Intentional Community . Global warming . Climate Justice . trajectory's going out . Living wage . Optimism/Engaged communities and much much more..........
Roominations Homeless show advocate Darren Burns aka Dear Old Daz. Tune in to Roominations at midday every Thursday on 3cr.
Environmental activist and grass roots anarchist Kia Danastien celebrates difference and reclamation decommodified spaces.
This week we chat to I.V. Harm reduction and Needle/Syringe Exchange Program worker Andy Sinclair.
This week we chat to Terminate Tulla Toxic Dump Action Group and Friends of Steele Creek Inc activist Helen Vandenberg.
Interview with community activist and Save Albert Park campaigner. Barbara Clinton Brown talks about her life growing up in regional victoria, her move to Melbourne and employment as the first Community Welfare Officer at the Western Region Community Health Centre. She also discusses her long-time and still ongoing work with Save Albert Park - as programmer on 3CR and with the organisation itself, a group who have campaigned long and hard to have the Formula 1 Grand Prix moved out of public parklands at Albert Park.
Les Thomas, Melbourne based singer/songwriter and activist, talks about using music as a means of radical activism. He's written songs about refugees, politicians, aboriginal freedom fighters and fighting for human rights. His guitar is a weapon for change in society. This is his life as an activist.
Lalitha Chelliah talks about her family background in industrial unionism in Malaysia, moving to Australia and becoming involved with the nursing unions. She discusses what feminism, union politics and radical activism mean to her.
Today's guest Joe Wally talks about his life as a West Papuan growing up in a refugee camp, his family background fighting for independence and moving to Australia and continuing to campaign for West Papuan independence.
This weeks guest is Rowan White, an Anglo-Melbournian poet, spoken word performer, singer, activist, counselor, driving instructor and sometime disability support worker. Rowan’s writing explores themes such as the beautiful here and now and the problem of privilege. Rowan’s first book is ‘Tailwind and other poems’, published in 2015.
Cheryl Kaulfuss discusses her life in activism, focussing on her work for Indigenous rights and her current work with the Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA).
West Papuan Activist, Sixta Dimeitri Mambor discusses her life in activism. From growing up in Jayapura in West Papua, her family background in the political protest movements for West Papuan independence to arriving to Melbourne and her involvement with the Republic of West Papua’s new Department of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Trade office in Melbourne. She talks about a life dedicated to the work of gaining independence for her homeland West Papua.