Aussie History Podcast

Do you know what the capital city of Australia is? If you live overseas you will probably answer Sydney. Wrong! It’s actually Canberra. Some people say that Canberra is a good sheep station spoiled. In this episode we learn about how Canberra came into being, how it got its name, and why it is located where it is.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/downloads/canberraconf_facts.pdf

https://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php/fact-sheets

Email me at: [email protected]

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier, who is currently on holidays in Thailand, for post-production.

Maybe you have seen a photo of the medal ceremony for the men's 200 meters at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968. U.S. sprinter and Gold medallist Tommie Smith and his compatriot John Carlos, the Bronze medallist, stand on the dais. They have no shoes on and each is wearing a single black glove on one hand. They are thrusting their fists into the air in a black power salute and their heads are bowed in protest as the Star Spangled Banner is played. It was an act of defiance aimed at protesting against segregation and racism against African Americans back home in the United States.

But let’s take our gaze away from Tommie Smith and John Carlos. You will see a small guy from Australia standing still. It’s Peter Norman. What few people realise is that Peter Norman is the forgotten hero of that medal ceremony.

Sources for this episode include:

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2012/s3572112.htm

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/world-finally-recognises-littleknown-aussie-hero-in-iconic-photo/news-story/0ddb2750053826e4baf7c2c749ba606a

http://www.andrewleigh.com/3389

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9NsN0ybTec

http://salute.vhx.tv/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D35uvpN3IKk

http://corporate.olympics.com.au/news/peter-norman-not-shunned-by-aoc

Email me at: [email protected]

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

On the morning of 19 February 1942, just 10 weeks after the Japanese navy launch its attack on Pearl Harbour, mainland Australia came under attack from the sky. Japanese forces mounted two air raids on Darwin. The raids involved 54 land-based bombers and approximately 188 attack aircraft, which were launched from four Japanese aircraft carriers in the Timor Sea.

For more details visit the Australian War memorial website at: https://www.awm.gov.au/talks-speeches/1942-bombing-of-darwin/

Email me at: [email protected]

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.

Juanita Nielsen was an Australian newspaper publisher and conservationist who was leading a campaign against high rise development in Victoria Street, Kings Cross in Sydney. On the 4th of July 1975 she disappeared, never to be seen again. A coronial inquest found that Nielsen had most likely been murdered. But the case has never been officially solved.

In this episode we are going to look at the criminal underbelly of Sydney in the late 1960s and 1970s. We will try and get to the bottom of just what happened to Juanita Nielsen and why.

Music courtesy of Dano at: www.danosongs.com

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post production.

Email me at [email protected] and visit the Aussie waves Podcast Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/AussieWavesPodcast

On Christmas Eve 1974 Tropical Cyclone Tracy destroyed the northern Australian city of Darwin. The cyclone took Darwin by completely by surprise and 71 people died. This was before the internet and it took the rest of Australia a while to find out what happened.

Check out the you've video of the song Santa never made it into Darwin by Bill and Boyd at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HYbgLcIz2s

For more images and sounds of Cyclone Tracy visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvyuFmk6s_U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B89wBGydSvs

Finally, take a moment during the Christmas-New Year Break to have a look at Steve Lee's Gremlins Toolbox on Facebook. If you like fantasy fiction I think you will enjoy some of the uploads on this Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GremlinsToolboxAudioLair/?fref=photo

And also take a listen to the talented Mr Lee's podcast, Audiolair. You can download it from iTunes, Google Play or any other podcast App.

Music courtesy of Dano at: www.danosongs.com

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post production.

Email me at [email protected] and visit the Aussie waves Podcast Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/AussieWavesPodcast

In this episode we will be looking at what happened immediately after the dismissal and how it al played out in the December 1975 election. We will also investigate the ramifications of the 11th November dismissal, including a number of crucial questions about Australian democracy and the Constitution.

Check out Sir John Kerr's letter dismissing Whitlam as Prime Minister: http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/snapshots/dismissal/dismissal-letter.aspx

Music courtesy of Dano at: www.danosongs.com

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post production.

Email me at [email protected] and visit the Aussie waves Podcast Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/AussieWavesPodcast

At 1.15 pm on the 11th of November 1975, 40 years ago, Edward Gough Whitlam, the 21st Prime Minister of Australia, was dismissed by the Governor-General Sir John Kerr. The Dismissal of Whitlam and his Government was one of the most dramatic and controversial political events in Australian history. And this is the 40th anniversary of that event.

Checkout the excellent Tandberg cartoon on the dismissal at: http://whitlamdismissal.com/images/tandberg-large.jpg

Music courtesy of Dano at: www.danosongs.com

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post production.

Email me at [email protected] and visit the Aussie waves Podcast Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/AussieWavesPodcast

Remember The Seekers? Only if you are over 50 years old, probably. The Seekers was one of the first Aussie Pop Groups to make it big overseas. I used to think their music was way too lame. But maybe I did them a disservice. The angelic voice of Judith Durham took them to the top of the charts in Australia, the UK and the US. For this episode listen to a few of their hit songs at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ga9Bs4fzSY&list=RD4Ga9Bs4fzSY#t=0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5pvpIvz5YQ&list=RD4Ga9Bs4fzSY&index=3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nze8B39OB0k&index=4&list=RD4Ga9Bs4fzSY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSVfLNCW4Fs&index=2&list=RD4Ga9Bs4fzSY

Very 1960s wholesome music.

On the 21 October 1978, 20 year old frederick Valentich dissappeared while on a training flight over Bass Strait. Some say he was taken by a UFO.

On 22nd August 1966, Vincent Lingiari, led a walk-off of 200 Aboriginal stockmen, domestic servants, and their families from the Wave Hill cattle station in the Northern Territory. The protest was about the poor work and pay conditions on the cattle station. But it was much more than that. It was also a struggle for Indigenous land rights and it changed Australia forever. Let’s see how ‘from little things big things grow’.

Check out the YouTube video of the Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody song ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’. The didgeridoo solo at the end is pretty darned cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_ndC07C2qw

Also check out the original petition from the Gurindji people to the Governor-General Lord Casey:

http://indigenousrights.net.au/land_rights/wave_hill_walk_off,_1966-75/a_petition_to_the_governor-general