Before open beaches and swimmers in shorts, going into the sea was a careful business. This is a story about how Australians once entered the water — and what those wooden boxes on the sand quietly tell us about who we were.

Australian Story.

In the corner of the lounge room sat the radio.

At night, people gathered around it.Families listened together — to the news, the cricket, the weather, and voices from far away.

For a long time, the radio was the centre of the room.

Then the room changed.Screens arrived.The radio was pushed aside.

But it never really disappeared.

Now, in some homes, it is finding its way back — not as furniture in the corner, but as a small voice in a child’s hand.Stories.Songs.Listening again.

If you would like to preserve the story of someone in your own family:

The People You know – Conversations for families

thepeopleyouknow.carrd.co

Boomers Bar sits just off the Esplanade at Christie’s Beach.

Low lamps. Old furniture. Shelves of nostalgic nick-nacks that feel like they’ve always been there. It’s not styled — it’s collected.

In this conversation, Shelly Jones talks about creating and running Boomers Bar: why she chose a full retro feel, what people are really looking for when they walk through the door, and how a place becomes familiar without trying too hard.

It’s a story about atmosphere, memory, and quietly creating a place for a community — one drink, one conversation, one dimly lit night at a time.

Australian Story.

On a quiet night in January 1975, a bulk carrier struck the Tasman Bridge in Hobart.

In seconds, a section of the bridge collapsed into the Derwent River. Cars plunged into the dark. A ship lay broken across the channel. The city was suddenly cut in two.

This is the story of what happened — and what followed.

Not a technical investigation, but a human one:the people driving home,the first rescuers,the divers in the water,and a city waking up to a new reality.

If you would like to preserve the story of someone in your own family:

The People You Know – Conversations for families

thepeopleyouknow.carrd.co

Joel Hatcher is a personal trainer, barefoot runner, surfer, snowboarder, coach, dancer, and massage therapist — someone who has built his life around movement in all its forms.

In this conversation, we talk about what it means to live well in the body, not just train it. Joel shares his approach to strength, balance, recovery, and awareness, and how different disciplines — from surfing and snowboarding to dance and hands-on bodywork — inform the way he moves through the world.

This is a relaxed, thoughtful conversation with a grounded, generous person — about listening to the body, staying curious, and finding a way of moving that feels natural rather than forced.

During a late-afternoon flight from Adelaide to Whyalla, Whyalla Airlines Flight 904 disappeared on 31 May 2000.

What followed was a long and difficult search that continued into the night, with limited information and poor conditions.

Tony Barratt grew up living in a bus with his parents and six brothers and sisters, parked in a fixed location while his father worked as a roo shooter and rabbit catcher.

As an adult, Tony built a working life in Adelaide, spending years with Mitsubishi before later teaching aquatics to school children. Now in his seventies, he still rides motorbikes with his grandsons.

This conversation reflects on family, work and the steady unfolding of an Australian life.

From the back roads of Clare to racing professionally in the United States, Will Dickeson has lived a life built on bikes, grit, and momentum. After competing with the Jelly Belly Pro Cycling Team, Will returned home to Australia where he worked with Cycling Australia before launching his own Adelaide-based business, Neutral Spares — a bike-service operation with a loyal following.

In this conversation we trace his path from young rider to pro athlete, from the intensity of the American racing scene to the craft of precision bike mechanics.

Will is also my son-in-law — husband to Olivia and dad to Audrey, Harriet, and Iris — which adds an extra layer of warmth and honesty to this chat.

If you love cycling, stories of perseverance, or the journey behind the person you meet, this one’s for you.

At sixteen, Ron Smith left home to join the New Zealand Navy, beginning a 54-year career at sea. In this episode, he shares his extraordinary journey through Navy service, professional diver training, and the high-risk world of saturation diving. Ron also takes us inside life on tugboats, navigating dangerous conditions and commanding powerful vessels. If you’re interested in real-life maritime stories, Navy history, or commercial diving, this episode is packed with rare insights from a man who has lived it all.

Alan McDonald joined the Victoria Police Force in 1961 and went on to become Officer-in-Charge of D24, the central police communications hub inside Russell Street Police Headquarters.

D24 — named for Corridor D, Room 24 — handled every 000 call, statewide radio dispatch, and urgent police communication across Victoria. It became an iconic part of Melbourne police history, even featuring in radio dramas and the TV series Homicide.

In this episode, Alan shares what it was really like inside Victoria’s busiest and most critical command centre.