Postcards from Port Kembla

Did you know that Port Kembla is named after the coal mine at Mt Kembla that opened in 1883? This postcard goes back in time to the early days of industrialisation and colonisation in the Illawarra. Let's go bushwalking in the rainforest on Mt Kembla, the heritage listed coal mine that was the site of Australia’s worst mining disaster. Come on a tour of the Coal Terminal, find out what it’s like to work underground with local coal miners, and we peek over the shoulder of an artist painting watercolours of the industrial landscape and mountains of coal.

CREDITS:
Hosted and created by Jennifer Macey
Sound engineering by Cinnamon Nippard
Original theme music by Russell Webster
Port Kembla logo artwork by Luke Player
Website and Socials by Olivia Tollardo

Featuring (in order of appearance):
Phil Grant
Henry Lee
Darryl Best
Richard the coal miner
Stephen Bourke
Mark Beale
Danny Barkeit
Zuza Zochowski

Further reading:
Darryl Best
Dr Chantel Carr
Henry Lee
Mount Kembla Mining Heritage
Zuza Zochowski

This first postcard comes to you from the water. I’m on a boat! Heading out to Big Island with local Wadi Wadi elder Aunty Carol Speechley to hear the dreaming story of the 5 islands. I’ve met the people who manage the 800 ships that pass through Port Kembla each year, sailors, the divers who maintain the harbour, and the first female surf-lifesavers in Australia. I follow a marine pilot as he brings a ship into berth. Come sailing with me to get a seagulls eye view of life and work from the port.

CREDITS:
Hosted and created by Jennifer Macey
Sound engineering by Cinnamon Nippard
Original theme music by Russell Webster
Port Kembla logo artwork by Luke Player
Website and Socials by Olivia Tollardo

Further reading:
Dr Sarah Hamylton
Marine pilots and the choreographic work of seaport mobilities
Mission to Seafarers Port Kembla
National Parks Big Island Nature Reserve
Port Kembla MUA
Port Kembla Surf Lifesaving club
Port Kembla VTS

Port Kembla is famous for the Steelworks... But it’s so much more than that. Every new car sold in NSW arrives here first, farmers sell their grains overseas from this port and the town, affectionately known as PK, bustles with artistic energy.

Join Jennifer Macey as she goes exploring. Jump on a pilot boat, go bushbashing, climb to the top of the grain silos, and enjoy burek, roti and cups of tea with locals all over Port Kembla.

This podcast is a geography field trip for your ears! 

Hosted and created by Jennifer Macey

Sound engineering by Cinnamon Nippard

Original theme music by Russell Webster

Logo art designed by Luke Player

Website and Socials by Olivia Tollardo

PhD Supervision by Dr Chantel Carr UOW & Prof Chris Gibson USYD

For more go to postcardsfromportkembla.au