Lust, Love, Loss: Conversations is a three-part series produced by renowned broadcaster Megan Spencer that delves deep into three stories of Australian wartime relationships. For Tanja and Mark Johnston, what started as a chance meeting on the stoop of a share house in Toowoomba evolved into a relationship filled with letter writing, 90s mix tapes and good dose of humour. The couple combined Tanja’s love of art and Mark’s experience in the Army to co-create ANVAM – the Australian National Veterans Art Museum – which helps promote veteran wellbeing though art programs. This episode of Lust, Love, Loss follows their story from the stoop to the studio, and what it was like founding this cherished veteran’s organisation together. 

Credits

This podcast has been produced for the Shrine of Remembrance to accompany the Lust, Love, Loss exhibition (1 December 2021 – 1 November 2022).

Speakers: Tanja Johnston, Mark Johnston.

Letters: read by Tanja and Mark Johnston

Interviewer/Producer/Sound: Megan Spencer

Archival sound:

“Bougainville (Australian Peace Monitoring Group), Adrian Boland reporter, Ten News, December 1998”. 10X Media Group/Ten Network Australia

Home videos: Tanja and Mark Johnston.

Music:

Original ‘Lovestruck’ music by Philip Brophy.

Performed by Bill McDonald (bass), Dan Luscombe (guitars), Garrett Costigan (pedal steel), Sianna Lee (vocals) and Philip Brophy (drums).

Audio mastering:

Kris Keogh

Tape transfers:

Fleurieu Multimedia

Special thanks:

Mark and Tanja Johnston for their generous interviews, and for sharing their letters and home video audio for use in this podcast.

Tanja and Mark are the co-founders of ANVAM, the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum (ANVAM), located at 312 St. Kilda Road, Southbank. Find out more about what they do – and how you can support them – by visiting anvam.org.au and follow them at @anvam310 on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter .

Their annual March to Art exhibition is on at the St. Kilda Road space from Sunday 13 March – Sunday 1 May, 2022. This year’s theme is ‘Voice’.

Thank you: 

Judy Toohey at 10X Media Group for assistance, Liz Boulton, Gary Juleff and the Shrine team: Sue Burgess, Leigh Gilbert, Tessa Occhino, Laura Thomas and Neil Sharkey, curator of Lust. Love. Loss.

See the exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne until November 2022.

Disclaimer:

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Shrine of Remembrance.

Support:

If this interview raises any issues for you, please contact:

Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14

Open Arms (formerly VVCS) - Veterans & Families Counselling on 1800 011 046 or on their website

Episode duration:

59:33

Please note that this episode was recorded in late 2021, around the time of the final withdrawal of Australian forces from Afghanistan.