Reg Saunders was a war hero who won the Military Medal. He was also the first Indigenous Australian to be commissioned as an officer in the Australian Army.

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Australia has had censorship since Captain Arthur Phillip planted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove in 1788. During the mid 20th century Australia is said to have had one of the strictest Censorship regimes in the western world.

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We finish our look at Malcolm Fraser, the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. Why did he turn his back on the Party he led did he become a left winger after he retired from politics?

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In this and the next episode we look at the life and career of John Malcolm Fraser, the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. Malcom Fraser was extremely divisive in his day, predominantly because of his role in the Dismissal of the Whitlam Government. I hope to convince you that he is a much misunderstood figure.

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On Tuesday 18 January 1977 a crowded commuter train derailed and careered into the supports of the Bold Street Bridge in the Western Sydney suburb of Granville. The bridge collapsed, killing 83 people and injuring 213 others. The Granville Rail Disaster remains the worst rail disaster in Australian history.

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The conflict on the Cumberland Plain and along the Hawkesbury River ramps up. Pemulwuy takes it to the colonists and leads his band of warriors in serious guerrilla warfare. In the Battle of Parramatta, he and 100 warriors fight it out with the NSW Corps.  On the Hawkesbury, the Dharug and Darkingjung people resist the encroachment of the colonists. In the end Pemulwuy is killed after Governor King offers a reward for his capture or death.

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In this episode we learn about Tilly Aston, the blind Australian writer and educator, who founded The Victorian Association of Braille Writers and The Association for the Advancement of the Blind. Tilly Aston is remembered for achievements in promoting the rights of vision-impaired people.

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On Remembrance Day I want to bring you the story of two best friends - Harold West and George Leonard. Private Harold West and Private Leonard were among about 5,000 Indigenous Australians who served during the Second World War.

Here is a link to a YouTube video which is a trailer for a film about Harold West and George Leonard. Alas the film has not yet been made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvLCu1i0m-w&feature=youtu.be

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In June 1826 local Campbelltown farmer Frederick Fisher disappeared. Four months later John Farley ran into the local pub claiming to have seen Frederick Fisher's ghost sitting on a bridge pointing to where his body lay.  

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On 15 October 1970, 50 years ago, workers were busy constructing a new bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne. Suddenly the bridge started to groan, a pinging noise filled the air and the bridge just fell away. As a result of this tragedy 35 workers died.

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