Big Little Small Talk

Maud Bagnall grew up in rural France, raised by her loving grandparents. For some unknown reason, they were fascinated with Australia, its landscapes and indigenous culture. Sadly neither of her grandparents got to visit but Maud did and she ended up becoming an Australian citizen. She has two children, her last born when Maud was 48 years old.A rich and beautiful tale.

Dr Maree Toombs has lead an extraordinary life. From dropping out of high school and falling pregnant as a teenager to becoming a highly respected Professor and Deputy Dean. Her never ending advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is exemplary and a credit to her mob. She is fierce, she’s determined, she’s passionate and kind. Maree was never destined to be ordinary.

If anything raised in this podcast raised issues for you or someone you know, help and support is available by contacting the following services:

Lifeline - 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au

13YARN Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Support Line - 13 92 76 or 13yarn.org.au

Recently Megan visited the Toowoomba Parkinson’s Support Group for their yearly check in to see how things are travelling for the group. 

This year Megan chats with Carol and Janette whose husbands both have Parkinson’s. The women describe what has happened with their husbands facial expressions, projection of voice and changes in handwriting.

Megan finishes her interview with a chat to Associate Professor of Music Melissa Forbes who takes the Parkinsong Choir.

Previous check ins with the Toowoomba Parkinsons Support Group is available on this podcast.

Richard Edwards is the Labor candidate for Groom in the 2025 Federal election.Richard has a deep connection to Groom, with family roots in the region dating back to the 1860s. His great-great-great-grandparents chose Pittsworth as the place to settle and raise their family. Richard works with disaffected youth and their families. He has a big heart and a sensibility well beyond his years. He is a thoughtful and caring man.

Peter Mullins is one of life’s quiet achievers. As a boy growing up in South Africa, he sailed with his father occasionally, he feels at home and peaceful on the water.

When he moved to inland Toowoomba, he wasn’t sure he could with continue his passion for sailing. Fortunately he was and furthermore, he became the President of an organisation called “Sailability” - Sailing for people with a disability.

Peter’s story is told with insight, humility and compassion.

Robert Ketton is a consummate story teller. Whether it’s using his knowledge of the mining men in Northern England who became painters and called themselves “Pitmen Painters” to tales about train spotting with his grandfather as a boy, every story is mesmerising.

Robert lectured in Theatre at UniSq until his retirement. He has written and directed dozens of plays, written several books and together with his artist wife Catherine, spent many hours sharing their experiences with likeminded creatives. A totally delightful and engaging interview.

Daniel Erbacher is a singer, dancer, choreographer, voice artist and an actor.

He knew when he chose the performing arts as a career, life was not always going to be easy.

Fingers crossed, life so far has been full of opportunity for this talented young artist. His powerful performances and undeniable stage presence in The Rocky Horror Show, A Very Naughty Christmas and most recently Grease The Musical, make this interview “electrifying”.

Join Megan each week for Big Little Small Talk. Bringing you conversations each week with Rural and Regional people where the talk is neither small nor boring.

Make sure to like, subscribe and comment and always recommend this podcast to a friend.

You can also listen to Big Little Small Talk live on the radio on 102.7 FM Toowoomba every Tuesday at 12pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on 1027.com.au, iHeartRadio or the Community Radio Plus app.

Toowoomba’s Christmas Wonderland has been bringing joy to the community since 2003. With over $1.5 million dollars raised and over 1 million people attending, it’s a logistical challenge and someone needs to pull it together.Marshall Cox and his team of volunteers work tirelessly to ensure this incredible event happens every year, no matter what the weather forecast. One such volunteer describes Marshall like this “he is a man with an appetite for work and has excellent leadership qualities. People rally around him because of the way he treats people and respects their efforts”Marshall Cox is a person of substance and integrity. This interview has only scratched the surface.

Belinda Keats, Georgie Keats and Felicity Burton had a dream. They dreamt that if you were a rural person and you required medical help “in town”, you could go to a warm,safe home at night and close the door.And so they went about making it happen. They own 3x2 bedroom units in Toowoomba that share a common back yard for children to run around.

'Common Ground' is a lifesaving project that enables the families of regional and remote people to escape the trauma of having a loved one in the medical system.

Bin and Georgie Keats give a raw and heartfelt insight into that world.