The Man Who Changed Australia

A Place Worth Protecting: Episode 5  
What do a recycled drink can, a historic Adelaide building and the Coorong have in common? Don Dunstan helped change the way South Australians valued and protected them.  

During the 1970s, Dunstan's government introduced Australia's first container deposit scheme, expanded national parks and wildlife protection, and strengthened laws to preserve the state’s historic buildings and natural landscapes – along the way helping to reshape attitudes towards conservation and the environment.  
In this episode of The Man Who Changed Australia, we explore how Dunstan's environmental and heritage reforms changed the place South Australians live and how some of those pioneering ideas spread across Australia.  

Featuring: Keith Conlon, Chris Sumner, Mike Rann, Jane Lomax-Smith, Amy Morrisson and Angela Woollacott, with archival oral histories from Colin Harris and Andrew Lothian.  

About the series
How did a boy born in Fiji become one of Australia’s greatest social reformers?The Man Who Changed Australia is an eight-part documentary podcast produced by PodTalk for the Don Dunstan Foundation to mark the centenary of Dunstan's birth in 1926. Through interviews and historical archives, the series explores the life, ideas, and enduring legacy of the former South Australian Premier whose pioneering reforms challenged convention and helped reshape Australian society, democracy, equality, multiculturalism, Aboriginal rights, human rights, social justice, the arts, and the way we live.  

Listen, follow and share
Enjoying the series? Follow The Man Who Changed Australia on your favourite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. Share it with someone interested in Australian history, politics and the people who shaped our nation.  

Production credits

• Produced by PodTalk. for the Don Dunstan Foundation
• Presenter and producer: Caroline Winter
• Consulting producer: David Washington
• Additional production: Drew Radford

  Music and archival acknowledgements

• Original series theme: Stu Day: https://studaymusic.com/
• Making Our Future: Geoff Harvey (Pixabay)
• Stomp Drums: Music by CinemaCat Production (Pixabay)
• Archival material: courtesy Channel 7 Adelaide

  Find out more

• Don Dunstan Foundation
• Don Dunstan Oral History Project
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Facebook
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Instagram

The Art of Living: Episode 4  
What do fine food, alfresco dining, theatre and Australian cinema have in common? Don Dunstan helped transform them all.  

For Dunstan, culture wasn't a luxury, it was part of a good life. As South Australian Premier, he championed the arts, backed the Adelaide Festival Centre and helped establish a thriving film industry. His reforms also transformed Adelaide's food and restaurant culture, embracing Mediterranean living and changing the way people ate, socialised and enjoyed their state.  

In this episode of The Man Who Changed Australia, we explore how Dunstan's passion for food, the arts and creativity helped reshape South Australia's cultural identity and why his vision of a richer, more vibrant life continues to influence the way it’s people live today.  

Featuring: Maggie Beer, Robyn Archer, Keith Conlon, John Williams, Greg Crafter, Lyn Arnold, Cathie King, Lynn Arnold and Steven Cheng, with an archival oral history from Gil Brealey.  

About the series
How did a boy born in Fiji become one of Australia’s greatest social reformers?The Man Who Changed Australia is an eight-part documentary podcast produced by PodTalk for the Don Dunstan Foundation to mark the centenary of Dunstan's birth in 1926. Through interviews and historical archives, the series explores the life, ideas, and enduring legacy of the former South Australian Premier whose pioneering reforms challenged convention and helped reshape Australian society, democracy, equality, multiculturalism, Aboriginal rights, human rights, social justice, the arts, and the way we live.  

Listen, follow and share
Enjoying the series? Follow The Man Who Changed Australia on your favourite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. Share it with someone interested in Australian history, politics and the people who shaped our nation. 

Production credits

• Produced by PodTalk. for the Don Dunstan Foundation
• Presenter and producer: Caroline Winter
• Consulting producer: David Washington
• Additional production: Drew Radford

  Music and archival acknowledgements

• Original series theme: Stu Day: https://studaymusic.com
• Stomp Drums: Music by CinemaCat Production (Pixabay)
• Archival material: courtesy Channel 7 Adelaide

 Find out more

• Don Dunstan Foundation
• Don Dunstan Oral History Project
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Facebook
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Instagram

Housing, More Than a Roof: Episode 3
For Don Dunstan, public housing was about more than providing a roof over someone's head. It was about dignity, opportunity and the kind of society South Australia could become.  

During his time as Premier, Dunstan championed affordable, quality housing and expanded the role of public housing in South Australia. His vision went beyond bricks and mortar, raising bigger questions about urban development, consumer protection and the responsibility of government to its citizens.  

In this episode of The Man Who Changed Australia, we explore Dunstan's ambitious approach to housing, the ideas that shaped his reforms and what they might tell us about Australia's housing challenges today.  

Featuring: Matt Clemow, Mike Rann, Greg Crafter, John Williams and Cathie King, with archival oral histories from Newell Platten and Ken Taeuber.  

About the series
How did a boy born in Fiji become one of Australia’s greatest social reformers? 
The Man Who Changed Australia is an eight-part documentary podcast produced by PodTalk for the Don Dunstan Foundation to mark the centenary of Dunstan's birth in 1926. Through interviews and historical archives, the series explores the life, ideas, and enduring legacy of the former South Australian Premier whose pioneering reforms challenged convention and helped reshape Australian society, democracy, equality, multiculturalism, Aboriginal rights, human rights, social justice, the arts, and the way we live.  

Listen, follow and share
Enjoying the series? Follow The Man Who Changed Australia on your favourite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. Share it with someone interested in Australian history, politics and the people who shaped our nation.  

Production credits

• Produced by PodTalk. for the Don Dunstan Foundation
• Presenter and producer: Caroline Winter
• Consulting producer: David Washington
• Additional production: Drew Radford

  Music and archival acknowledgements

• Original series theme: Stu Day: https://studaymusic.com/
• Making Our Future: Geoff Harvey (Pixabay)
• The Ghost of Shepard's Pie: Geoffrey Burch (Pixabay)
• Archival material: courtesy Channel 7 Adelaide
• Archival recording: Don Dunstan's maiden speech, South Australian Parliament, 28 July 1953, courtesy of Michael Smyth, Channel 7 Adelaide

  Find out more

• Don Dunstan Foundation
• Don Dunstan Oral History Project
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Facebook
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Instagram

The Politics of Possibility: Episode 2  
Don Dunstan believed democracy should work for everyone. But in 1960s South Australia, the political system didn't always reflect the will of the people.  

Shaped by the racism and injustice he witnessed growing up, Dunstan set out to challenge an electoral system that favoured some voters over others. His fight for electoral reform, fairer representation and greater political participation would help reshape South Australian democracy.  

In this episode of The Man Who Changed Australia, we explore how Dunstan challenged the political establishment, expanded democratic rights and changed the relationship between government and the people it served.  

Featuring: Angela Woollacott, Amy Morrison, Keith Conlon, John Williams, Greg Crafter, Lynn Arnold, Cathie King,  

About the series
How did a boy born in Fiji become one of Australia’s greatest social reformers? 
The Man Who Changed Australia is an eight-part documentary podcast produced by PodTalk for the Don Dunstan Foundation to mark the centenary of Dunstan's birth in 1926. Through interviews and historical archives, the series explores the life, ideas, and enduring legacy of the former South Australian Premier whose pioneering reforms challenged convention and helped reshape Australian society, democracy, equality, multiculturalism, Aboriginal rights, human rights, social justice, the arts, and the way we live.  

Listen, follow and share
Enjoying the series? Follow The Man Who Changed Australia on your favourite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. Share it with someone interested in Australian history, politics and the people who shaped our nation.  

Production credits

• Produced by PodTalk. for the Don Dunstan Foundation
• Presenter and producer: Caroline Winter
• Consulting producer: David Washington
• Additional production: Drew Radford

  Music and archival acknowledgements

• Original series theme: Stu Day: https://studaymusic.com/
• Stomp Drums: Music by CinemaCat Production (Pixabay) 
• Documentary: Music by AtlasAudio (Pixabay)
• Archival material: courtesy Channel 7 Adelaide

  Find out more

• Don Dunstan Foundation
• Don Dunstan Oral History Project
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Facebook
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Instagram

The Man in the Pink Shorts: Episode 1
What kind of politician turns up to Parliament in pink shorts and goes on to change Australia?  

Don Dunstan was no ordinary politician. From his early life in Fiji to his rise through South Australian politics, the future Premier challenged convention, confronted injustice and imagined a different kind of society. His ideas would help transform Australia's political and social landscape.  

In the opening episode of The Man Who Changed Australia, we go back to where it all began, exploring the people, experiences and beliefs that shaped one of Australia's most influential political reformers and the story behind those famous pink shorts.  

Featuring: Mike Rann, Jane Lomax-Smith, Angela Woollacott, Steven Cheng, Lynn Arnold, Amy Morrison, Cathie King, Keith Conlon.  

About the series
How did a boy born in Fiji become one of Australia’s greatest social reformers? 
The Man Who Changed Australia is an eight-part documentary podcast produced by PodTalk for the Don Dunstan Foundation to mark the centenary of Dunstan's birth in 1926. Through interviews and historical archives, the series explores the life, ideas, and enduring legacy of the former South Australian Premier whose pioneering reforms challenged convention and helped reshape Australian society, democracy, equality, multiculturalism, Aboriginal rights, human rights, social justice, the arts, and the way we live.  

Listen, follow and share
Enjoying the series? Follow The Man Who Changed Australia on your favourite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. Share it with someone interested in Australian history, politics and the people who shaped our nation.  

Production credits

• Produced by PodTalk. for the Don Dunstan Foundation
• Presenter and producer: Caroline Winter
• Consulting producer: David Washington
• Additional production: Drew Radford

  Music and archival acknowledgements

• Original series theme: Stu Day: https://studaymusic.com/
• Making Our Future: Geoff Harvey (Pixabay)
• The Ghost of Shepard's Pie: Geoffrey Burch (Pixabay)
• Archival material: courtesy Channel 7 Adelaide

  Find out more

• Don Dunstan Foundation
• Don Dunstan Oral History Project
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Facebook
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Instagram

How did a boy born in Fiji become one of Australia’s greatest social reformers?
The Man Who Changed Australia is an eight-part documentary podcast produced by PodTalk for the Don Dunstan Foundation to mark the centenary of Dunstan's birth in 1926. Through interviews and historical archives, the series explores the life, ideas, and enduring legacy of the former South Australian Premier whose pioneering reforms challenged convention and helped reshape Australian society, democracy, equality, multiculturalism, Aboriginal rights, human rights, social justice, the arts, and the way we live.

Production credits

• Produced by PodTalk. for the Don Dunstan Foundation
• Presenter and producer: Caroline Winter
• Consulting producer: David Washington
• Additional production: Drew Radford

Find out more

• The Don Dunstan Foundation.
• Don Dunstan Oral History Project
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Facebook
• Follow the Don Dunstan Foundation on Instagram