Ageless with Roz

Stitching Stories 27

Today I’m talking to someone whose work has travelled far beyond the sewing room.

Jenny Bowker is an internationally recognised Australian quilter, teacher and artist whose quilts have been exhibited and admired around the world.

But what fascinates me about Jenny is not simply her extraordinary skill with fabric and thread.

It’s the world that quilting creates around women.

Quilting can look, at first glance, like a quiet domestic craft. Yet when you look more closely, it becomes something much more powerful — a way of preserving history, telling stories, expressing identity, building friendships and creating communities.

And perhaps most interestingly, quilting has created an international network in which women teach one another, support one another and share stories across cultures and generations.

That raises a much bigger question for me:

Can something traditionally associated with women’s domestic lives actually become a powerful form of cultural expression — and even a way of challenging a male-dominated world?

Contact: [email protected]

Sponsors: Thanks to PrimeLife Partners

**Disclaimer : This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not intended to replace professional advice.

Today I’m talking with Dr Diana Patterson OAM, an extraordinary Australian adventurer, Antarctic expedition leader, author and researcher.

Diana became the first woman to lead an Australian Antarctic research station. After first travelling to Antarctica in 1987, she spent a summer at Casey before taking charge of Mawson Station in 1989, returning to lead Davis Station in 1995. She also led a conservation team working on Sir Douglas Mawson’s historic huts.

But Diana’s connection with Antarctica didn’t end when she left the continent. Her fascination with its history—and particularly with the sled dogs that accompanied the early explorers—eventually led her to undertake a PhD at Monash University.

Her 2019 doctorate was titled “Humans and canines on the frozen continent: An examination of the relationship between explorers of the heroic era of Antarctica and their sledge dogs.”

Contact: [email protected]

Sponsors: Thanks to PrimeLife Partners

**Disclaimer : This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not intended to replace professional advice.

The Joy of Strings: Keeping the Mandolin Orchestra Tradition Alive in Canberra

Introduction

Today on Ageless with Roz, we’re discovering a musical treasure that many Australians may never have experienced.

The Canberra Mandolin Orchestra has been delighting audiences since 2003 with music that ranges from classical favourites and film themes to folk music, jazz-age tunes and music from cultures around the world. The orchestra brings together players of mandolins, mandolas, mandocellos, guitars and basses, creating the rich sound of a string orchestra using plucked rather than bowed instruments. It also welcomes beginners with tuition and even instrument loans.

My guest is Wal Jurkiewicz, a long-time member of the orchestra, who has helped keep this unique musical tradition alive in Canberra. Today we’ll explore why the mandolin continues to captivate musicians and audiences alike, and why it’s never too late to discover a new passion.

Contact: [email protected]

Sponsors: Thanks to PrimeLife Partners

**Disclaimer : This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not intended to replace professional advice.

We spend a great deal of time learning how to live, but very little learning about dying, death and what may come afterwards.

Today I’m talking with Sandra Bamford, a holistic funeral director who has spent many years bringing death back into life. In 2016 she founded Mary Eleanor Natural Funeral Care in Tasmania, pioneering a more personal approach to death care based on love, service and sustainability.

Sandra is also a student of Anthroposophy, inspired by the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, and has developed Living Connections: Conscious Dying, Death Care & Spiritual Continuing.

Contact: [email protected]

Sponsors: Thanks to PrimeLife Partners

**Disclaimer : This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not intended to replace professional advice.

Aimee Frodsham, is the Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director of Canberra Glassworks. She has spent more than 25 years working with artists and craftspeople, including 12 years at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and Tate, before returning to Canberra to help lead one of Australia’s most important centres for contemporary glass. She has championed exhibitions, artist residencies and collaborations with leading Australian artists, while helping ensure that an ancient craft continues to evolve in exciting new ways.

Find out why glass is far more than a beautiful object—it’s a medium of science, history, storytelling and extraordinary human creativity.

Contact: [email protected]

Sponsors: Thanks to PrimeLife Partners

**Disclaimer : This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not intended to replace professional advice.

My Publisher in Chennai: Dr Olivannan and Building Bridges with Books

People sometimes ask me how I find the fascinating people who come onto Ageless with Roz. And today’s guest is particularly easy to explain — because he is my publisher!

I first came to know Dr G. Olivannan through my own books and my connection with Emerald Publishers in Chennai. Over the years, that professional relationship has grown into a friendship, and I’ve come to appreciate not only his knowledge of publishing but his extraordinary energy and curiosity.

Dr Olivannan is the CEO of Emerald Publishers, the company founded by his father in 1982. He has a PhD in publishing from the University of Madras, is Vice President (South) of the Federation of Indian Publishers, has been closely involved with the Chennai International Book Fair and founded the Chennai Literary Festival. He is also a former Rotary District Governor and an author himself.

Contact: [email protected]

Sponsors: Thanks to PrimeLife Partners

**Disclaimer : This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not intended to replace professional advice.

The Art of Everywhere Else: Rethinking the Story of World Art with Associate Professor Sam Bowker

Art history is much bigger than the Renaissance and the great European masters. Associate Professor Sam Bowker takes us on a journey through global art traditions, exploring Islamic art, African textiles, Asian masterpieces, museums, cultural heritage, and the fascinating question of who really owns the world’s treasures. This conversation will change the way you look at art—and perhaps the world itself.

Contact: [email protected]

Sponsors: Thanks to PrimeLife Partners

**Disclaimer : This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not intended to replace professional advice.

Today I’m delighted to welcome Virginia Haussegger AM—award-winning journalist, broadcaster, author and one of Australia’s most respected advocates for gender equality. For decades, Virginia has not only reported on Australia’s history but has also helped shape the national conversation about equality, leadership and the changing role of women in our society.

This conversation isn’t simply about feminism. It’s about how societies change, why meaningful progress often takes decades, and why understanding our history helps us create a better future. From the groundbreaking reforms of the 1970s to the national awakening of 2021, Virginia offers a unique perspective on the people and moments that transformed Australia.

Contact: [email protected]

Sponsors: Thanks to PrimeLife Partners

**Disclaimer : This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not intended to replace professional advice.

Grant Battersby's career included service with Australia’s Office of National Assessments, the organisation that provided independent intelligence assessments to the Prime Minister and senior government ministers.

Today, that organisation is known as the Office of National Intelligence, reflecting its expanded role in coordinating Australia’s National Intelligence Community.

While much of Grant’s work necessarily remained confidential, his career gave him a unique perspective on how governments make decisions, assess global risks, and separate fact from misinformation.

In this conversation, we’ll explore what life is really like inside Australia’s intelligence community, how intelligence shapes national security, and what ordinary Australians can learn about thinking critically in an increasingly complex world.

Contact: [email protected]

Sponsors: Thanks to PrimeLife Partners

**Disclaimer : This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not intended to replace professional advice

Dancing Through History: Dr Tony Turner on Theatre, Historical Dance and the Art of Performance