Conversations

Wongaibon woman, Gayle Kennedy tells the story of her childhood, punctuated by years of treatment for polio. A bright child, she blitzed school and was drawn to comic book writing, which led to an award-winning career as an author.
Gayle was two when she contracted polio. The family was living in a camp outside Condobolin when little Gayle collapsed at her aunt’s house.
Gayle’s mother was in hospital at the time, where she had given birth to Gayle’s younger brother. 
She ran from the hospital to her sickly toddler, and brought Gayle in for treatment.
Gayle was sent to Sydney and spent six months in an iron lung, a mechanical respirator that covered her whole body, leaving her head exposed.
For years she would return to Sydney for follow up therapy. 
Gayle was a bright student who overcame racism at school and after she graduated she worked with the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, then set up the Ivanhoe Land Council.
During this time, Gayle was introduced to Streetwize Comics, which inspired to give writing a go and got a job as a comic book writer.
Years later, Gayle became unwell again, and she was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome.
She was miserable and suffering, and when she joined the NDIS her life changed for the better.
She started writing stories that were published in the Sydney Morning Herald and went on to win the David Unaipon Award for her book Me, Antman and Fleabag.
Further information
This episode was produced by Rebecca McLaren. The Executive Producer of Conversations is Nicola Harrison.
This episode contains reference to father's love, mother's love, polio, post-polio syndrome, Abbotsford station, Ivanhoe, Wangaaypuwan, Royal Flying Doctor Service, rehabilitation, children's hospital, kind nurses, long drop toilet, racism, Catholic school, Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, cousins, nepotism, Balmain, NDIS, scooter, how to drink in the park, Redfern, blackfellas, saying yes, giving things a go.
To binge even more great episodes of the 'Conversations podcast' with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Troy grew up travelling between two very different worlds with his Indigenous mum and his Maltese Dad. At just 17 he started on his path to becoming one of Australia's biggest country music stars (R) CW: Mentions suicide, please take care when listening
Troy Cassar-Daley is a proud Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung man, and one of Australia's most beloved country music stars.
As a 17-year-old musician just starting out, Troy joined a band called Little Eagle. 
Soon afterwards, he won the Tamworth Starmaker Quest, and within a few years, Troy was a fully-fledged country music star.
In his long career, Troy has won 40 Golden Guitars and 5 ARIA Awards, among many other accolades. 
In his most recent album, Between the Fires, Troy digs deep into his own family history, with songs of grief, love and connection.
Further information
Troy is touring now - more details here
Help and support is always available
If you need to talk, 24/7 crisis support is available from Lifeline by calling 13 11 14.
You can also text and chat online with counsellors here.

Writer Anita Heiss has based her novel  Dirrayawadha on stories from the 1800s during the frontier wars in Bathurst, when martial law was declared.

The filmmaker on her series which documents a period some historians call the most important war Australia has ever fought in.
Rachel Perkins is one of this country's great storytellers, translating distinctively Australian stories for the screen, including a television series first released in 2022 called The Australian Wars.
It tracks the bloody conflicts that broke out across the continent after the arrival of the British colonists.
Rachel says these are the most important wars in our history: they were fought on Australian soil, between Australians, to determine the ownership and control of the entire country.
The stories from this era are stories of violence, of peace, of epic adventures, which make up the foundational narrative of this nation.
This episode of Conversations was first broadcast in 2022 
Further Information
The Australian Wars is available to watch on SBS on Demand.
This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris, the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.
It explores Aboriginal history, British colonial history, frontier wars, the Native Police, death, conflict, grief, Australian history, guns, violence, land ownership, control, documentary

Tagalaka man, Victor Steffensen on the ‘walking encyclopedias’ — dear old men he met who entrusted him with their decades of cultural knowledge and taught him to apply the right traditional burn for the right environment, so Country can thrive. 
Victor advocates for small, cool fires that emit white smoke. This is something Indigenous people have done for tens of thousands of years to help Country survive and thrive.
Victor was a young man who wasn’t sure which direction to take when two elders in Far North Queensland took him under their wing.
He was hungry for knowledge and a beautiful, trusting relationship grew between the three men. 
The old men poured their expertise into Victor, who captured it all on videotape.
Today Victor teaches all around the country, using traditional methods on how to safely burn the landscape so plants, animals and people can flourish.
Further information
The Knowledge: Learning from ancestral wisdom to save our challenging global environment is published by Allen & Unwin.
This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. 
This episode covers Indigenous elders, cultural knowledge, doubt, backburning, bushfires, fuel load, drip torch, cool burn, mosaic burn, everything is connected, sacred knowledge, climate change, native grasses, crocodile country, knowledge sharing, Indigenous knowledge systems, NAIDOC week, lost language, mentors, Indigenous rangers, Kuranda, camping, fishing.
To binge even more great episodes of the 'Conversations podcast' with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.