We continue our look at Ben Chifley. Chifley finally gets elected to Federal Parliament and enters the Minsitry as Minister for Defence. But disunity in the Labor Party costs Labor government, and Chifley his seat, all at the hands of Jack Lang. Chifley and Lang become bitter enemies.  

I was struggling with a sore throat and I bit my tongue (ouch). So bear with my poor delivery in this episode.

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In this and the next few episodes we are going to take a look at Ben Chifley. Chifley was born in Bathurst, New South Wales and worked on the NSW Railways for 25 years as an engine driver.

Chifley was Australia’s 16th Prime Minister who came to the Prime Ministership in July 1945 following the death of John Curtin. Chifley is an icon in Labor Party history. He is most famously remembered for his ‘light on the hill’ speech.

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should note that that in this episode I mention the names of people who have or may have passed away.

In this episode we look at the life of Oodgeroo Noonuccal or as you might know her Kath Walker. She was a great poet, writer and activist who played a significant role in the 1967 referendum.

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I've decided to rename the podcast to the Aussie History Podcast. Thanks to Artistic Visual Design Director Ken Dampier for the new artwork

In this episode my good friend Kate joins me to talk cricket and the infamous Bodyline series of the 1930s. Check out Six and Out's cricketing song 'Can't bowl, Can't Throw'. The band was made up of Australian Test and First Class cricketers, including Brett Lee. As a band they made good cricketers.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcH-unNO7L0

Would you believe that on the banks of Kati Thanda or Lake Eyre, South Australia, lies the world’s second-largest geoglyph? Did you know that from the 1940s until the 1970s cats lived in the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And finally, were you aware that at the end of WWI a French orphan was smuggled to Australia in a sack by Australian troops?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this episode mentions the names of people who have passed away.

At school we learned that the the settlement of New South Wales was a pretty peaceful affair and that the local Aboriginal people accepted the colonists. Also that, where there was conflict, it was very much small scale and out of the ordinary. But was it really like that?

Bushrangers!!  This time it's Captain Moonlite and Jackey Jackey.

And we say farewell to the Hon. James Robert Lee Hawke MP, one of Australia's best Prime Ministers who died several days before this episode was recorded. Vale Bob Hawke. Australia is a better place because of you.

It's election day today in Australia.  As we head to the polls learn about the first woman who is known to have cast a vote in an Australian election - Frances Finch.  Would you believe it actually happened in 1856, some 46 years before universal suffrage was introduced in Australia.

It's ANZAC Day. Marion Leane Smith is the only known Indigenous Australian woman to service in WWI.  Let's learn about her story.

We wrap up our series of episodes into the murder of Donald Mackay.  The inquest into the death of Donald Mackay gets underway, Bob Trimbole is finally found and Detective Inspector Ellis goes before the courts. Finally three men are charged over conspiracy to murder Donald Mackay.