Stars and Stories: The Black Star Radio Podcast

Eddie shares everyday tips to keep these pests at bay, including one simple and tried-and-true trick that still works today!

This episode is packed with straightforward, no-fuss advice to help keep your space pest-free.

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Stars and Stories

Broadcasting straight from the heart of Remote Communities, Black Star Radio brings a fresh twist to local radio with stories, music, and connections that matter. Powered by Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), we’re here to amplify voices, celebrate culture, and bring you the latest from Far North Queensland.

In this episode of Stars and Stories, MJ catches up with Maura Solley CF to talk about the Churchill Fellowship—an opportunity that allows everyday Australians to explore their passion, gain global insights, and bring that knowledge back to benefit their communities.

A Churchill Fellowship offers Australian citizens and permanent residents the chance to travel overseas for four to eight weeks to investigate a topic they care deeply about. There’s no need for academic qualifications—in fact, you don’t even need to have completed school. The only requirement is a desire to make a difference.

Applications are now open and close 1 May 2025 at 5pm AEST.

Listen now to find out how you can turn your passion into a project that inspires local change.

Learn more and apply at: churchilltrust.com.au/become-a-fellow

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Stars and Stories Podcast

Broadcasting straight from the heart of Remote Communities, Black Star Radio brings a fresh twist to local radio with stories, music, and connections that matter. Powered by Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), we’re here to amplify voices, celebrate culture, and bring you the latest from Far North Queensland.

Meet Maura Solley CF

Maura Solley CF joined the Churchill Fellows Association of Queensland committee in 2017 and has fulfilled roles including Treasurer, assisting with planning social functions, and participating in delivering a regional roadshow.

Maura was the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship in 1999 to discover effective speech and swallowing rehabilitation responses for those needing ventilator assistance in and out of hospital care.

Maura’s fellowship introduced her to tremendously skilled and welcoming practitioners as well as children and adult ventilator users throughout the USA and UK. In the years soon after Maura returned to speech pathology practice and shared her knowledge through clinical work, academic publications, development of multi disciplinary clinical guidelines, and contributions to research.

In recent years Maura’s focus has diversified to build effective communication and swallowing skills in the community across the life span though clinical supervision of speech pathology undergraduates and in her private clinic.

In this episode of Stars and Stories, MJ and Community Pharmacist and Master Herbalist Gerald Quigley explore a topic that often gets overlooked—our eyes.

As we age, changes in our vision are common, but some issues can be much more serious than needing reading glasses. One of the leading causes of blindness in people over 60 is glaucoma—a condition that often develops without early symptoms.

Glaucoma occurs when fluid builds up in the eye, increasing pressure and damaging the optic nerve. While there is no cure, early detection is key to managing the condition and slowing its progression.

Gerald stresses the importance of regular eye checks, especially as we get older. Because if you're not seeing clearly, you're in the dark—and when it comes to your eyesight, knowledge and prevention truly matter.

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Stars and Stories Podcast

Broadcasting straight from the heart of Remote Communities, Black Star Radio brings a fresh twist to local radio with stories, music, and connections that matter. Powered by Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), we’re here to amplify voices, celebrate culture, and bring you the latest from Far North Queensland.

Meet Gerald

Gerald Quigley is a practising Community Pharmacist, as well as an Accredited Herbalist.

Gerald is a Pharmacist and Master Herbalist based in Melbourne. He is a media health commentator heard each week on many radio stations.   

He is co-hosts the House of Wellness radio program heard each Sunday on the Nine Radio Network live across Australia. 

Gerald is a Fellow of the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia and Fellow of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society. 

Gerald’s passion is to empower each person to make sensible health decisions, and to continually maintain and improve their quality of life, especially as they age. 

Big Names, Big Vibes: James Dein Talks Savannah in the Round 2025

In this episode of Stars and Stories, MJ catches up with James Dein to talk all things Savannah in the Round 2025—the much-loved music festival returning to Mareeba this October.

James reveals the exciting news that Zac Brown Band and Jackson Dean are joining the lineup as U.S. headliners, adding even more star power to an already stacked roster. With Aussie legends like James Reyne, Kasey Chambers, Daryl Braithwaite, and James Johnston also on the bill, this year’s festival is set to be one of the biggest yet.

Zac Brown Band, a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning Southern rock group, will bring their powerhouse sound to the heart of Queensland’s Tropical North—making Savannah in the Round a must-see event in 2025.

Tune in for behind-the-scenes insights and why this year’s festival is one not to miss.

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Stars and Stories Podcast

Broadcasting straight from the heart of Remote Communities, Black Star Radio brings a fresh twist to local radio with stories, music, and connections that matter. Powered by Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), we’re here to amplify voices, celebrate culture, and bring you the latest from Far North Queensland.

In this episode of Stars and Stories, MJ is joined by Community Pharmacist and Master Herbalist Gerald Quigley to mark World Autism Awareness Week — an annual event that aims to move beyond awareness and actively promote acceptance and inclusion of people with autism.

Gerald and MJ discuss how autism is not a disease, but a neurological and developmental condition that affects how people interact, communicate, learn, and behave. With 1 in 40 Australians currently living with autism, the need for deeper understanding and genuine support has never been more important.

They also highlight the work of Autism Awareness Australia, an organisation founded in 2007 with a clear mission: to improve the lives of all Australians on the autism spectrum and the families who love them.

Learn more at: https://www.autismawareness.com.au

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Stars and Stories Podcast

Broadcasting straight from the heart of Remote Communities, Black Star Radio brings a fresh twist to local radio with stories, music, and connections that matter. Powered by Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), we’re here to amplify voices, celebrate culture, and bring you the latest from Far North Queensland.

Meet Gerald

Gerald Quigley is a practising Community Pharmacist, as well as an Accredited Herbalist.

Gerald is a Pharmacist and Master Herbalist based in Melbourne. He is a media health commentator heard each week on many radio stations.   

He is co-hosts the House of Wellness radio program heard each Sunday on the Nine Radio Network live across Australia. 

Gerald is a Fellow of the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia and Fellow of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society. 

Gerald’s passion is to empower each person to make sensible health decisions, and to continually maintain and improve their quality of life, especially as they age. 

In this episode of Stars and Stories, Mark Hogan speaks with journalist and Neighbour Day Ambassador Natalie Ahmat about the growing issue of loneliness in Australia — and how small acts of connection can help turn things around.

With nearly one in three Australians reporting loneliness, Natalie shares why the key to overcoming loneliness is taking the time to make that human connection.

Neighbour Day, happening this Sunday, March 30, is a national call to reach out, say hello, and build stronger, more connected communities. The 2025 theme, “Create Belonging, Share Belonging, Grow Belonging,” encourages us all to take simple steps toward fostering belonging and respect.

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Stars and Stories Podcast

Broadcasting straight from the heart of Remote Communities, Black Star Radio brings a fresh twist to local radio with stories, music, and connections that matter. Powered by Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), we’re here to amplify voices, celebrate culture, and bring you the latest from Far North Queensland.

Meet Natalie Ahmat

A proud Mudburra (Wave Hill, NT) and Wagadagam (Mabuiag Island, Torres Straits) woman, Natalie is passionate about telling stories through an Indigenous lens.

A journalist, producer, presenter and filmmaker, Natalie has been a familiar face on NITV for almost two decades. In 2023, Natalie was appointed Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs at NITV and SBS, overseeing NITV News, as well as NITV’s flagship current affairs programs, The Point and Living Black.

As well as being an Ambassador for Neighbour Day, Natalie is the Co-Chair of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and sits on Cricket Australia’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cricket Advisory Committee.

Learn more at: https://neighboursday.org

Concussion Awareness: A Conversation with Gerald Quigley

In this episode of Stars and Stories, MJ speaks with Gerald Quigley, Community Pharmacist and Master Herbalist, about the serious issue of concussions.

This episode discusses brain awareness and concussions at all ages, highlighting the importance of understanding how a knock on the head can potentially become serious, sometimes hours or sometimes days after it happens.

Gerald shares essential advice on the critical steps to take for safety and well-being.

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Stars and Stories Podcast

Broadcasting straight from the heart of Remote Communities, Black Star Radio brings a fresh twist to local radio with stories, music, and connections that matter. Powered by Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), we’re here to amplify voices, celebrate culture, and bring you the latest from Far North Queensland.

Meet Gerald

Gerald Quigley is a practising Community Pharmacist, as well as an Accredited Herbalist.

Empowering Communities with Fred Pascoe from GREAT

In this episode of Stars and Stories, MJ speaks with Fred Pascoe from the Gulf Regional Economic Aboriginal Trust (GREAT), a major social enterprise dedicated to economic development and cultural sustainability in the Gulf region.

Beyond the business, Fred speaks candidly about what really needs to change to help communities thrive. He discusses the importance of taking ownership, facing challenges head-on, and creating the conditions for people to take control of their own destiny.

GREAT is committed to the development of self-sufficient and economically sustainable Gulf Communities that continue to value traditional cultures.

This is a conversation about leadership, resilience, and the power of community-driven change.

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Broadcasting straight from the heart of Remote Communities, Black Star Radio brings a fresh twist to local radio with stories, music, and connections that matter. Powered by Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), we’re here to amplify voices, celebrate culture, and bring you the latest from Far North Queensland.

Meet Fred Pascoe

Normanton Community Representative. Fred was elected to Carpentaria Shire Council from 1997 to 2008. He was elected as Mayor of in March 2009 then re- elected as Mayor from April 2012-2016. Currently Mr Pascoe is the Chairman of GREAT and ADBT. He is also a director on Delta Downs and BYNOE.

https://www.greatrust.com.au/about-great/

In this episode of Stars and Stories, MJ sits down with Community Pharmacist and Master Herbalist, Gerald Quigley, to unpack the latest research on red meat.

Gerald shares insights into the benefits of red meat, particularly its importance as a source of iron for women. He also discusses which types of red meat are good for your health and which ones should be considered an occasional treat.

Want to learn more? Listen to the full episode.

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Stars and Stories Podcast

Broadcasting straight from the heart of Remote Communities, Black Star Radio brings a fresh twist to local radio with stories, music, and connections that matter. Powered by Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), we’re here to amplify voices, celebrate culture, and bring you the latest from Far North Queensland.

Meet Gerald

Gerald Quigley is a practising Community Pharmacist, as well as an Accredited Herbalist.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness: A Conversation with Gerald Quigley

This episode of Stars and Stories originally aired during February, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

MJ sits down with Community Pharmacist and Master Herbalist, Gerald Quigley, to talk about ovarian cancer—what to watch for and why listening to your body is so important.

Ovarian cancer symptoms can be subtle and easy to overlook, often affecting women between 55 and 64. Early detection can make all the difference.

Some of the common signs include:

Gerald suggests that these symptoms are sometimes ignored, but if they persist, don’t dismiss them—book an appointment with your doctor.

He also shares why it’s crucial to trust your instincts, seek second (or even third) opinions, and take charge of your health.

Listen now.

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Stars and Stories Podcast

Broadcasting straight from the heart of Remote Communities, Black Star Radio brings a fresh twist to local radio with stories, music, and connections that matter. Powered by Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM), we’re here to amplify voices, celebrate culture, and bring you the latest from Far North Queensland.

Meet Gerald

Gerald Quigley is a practising Community Pharmacist, as well as an Accredited Herbalist.

Learn more about Ovarian Cancer https://www.ovariancancer.net.au/about-ovarian-cancer/understanding-ovarian-cancer