Uncommon Sense

James Curran, international editor of the Australian Financial Review and Professor of Modern History at the University of Sydney, speaks in-depth about his latest essay for Australian Foreign Affairs, 'Excess Baggage: Is China A Genuine Threat To Australia?' James writes that, "Australia’s fears of China... are profoundly shaped by what is being said and discussed in Washington." Are Australia's fears largely unfounded? What are China's intentions toward Taiwan? What is the United States aiming to achieve through AUKUS?

Read an edited extract of James' essay here.

Companion interview with former Australian Ambassador to China Geoff Raby.

El Gibbs, writer, disability advocate, and editor of Bluntshovels.au joins Amy to talk about the Disability Royal Commission's final report. The commissioner's handed down their their 222 recommendations in September after extensive hearings detailing the violence, abuse, and neglect of disabled people in Australia. El analyses the Royal Commission's activities, its findings, and what should happen next. She also addresses the ongoing COVID impacts on disabled and chronically ill people who are effectively excluded from engaging with society properly and safely as almost all COVID measures have been dropped. James Curran, international editor of the Australian Financial Review and Professor of Modern History at the University of Sydney, speaks in-depth about his latest essay for Australian Foreign Affairs, 'Excess Baggage: Is China A Genuine Threat To Australia?' James writes that, "Australia’s fears of China... are profoundly shaped by what is being said and discussed in Washington." Are Australia's fears largely unfounded? What are China's intentions toward Taiwan? What is the United States aiming to achieve through AUKUS? (Interview with Geoff Raby on China, as referenced). Sean Reynolds, cultural archaeologist and founder of @Melbourne_GhostSigns on Instagram, speaks about his passion for ghost signs in Melbourne and Victoria more broadly, and tells us what they reveal about our local histories. He also tells us about a community fundraising campaign for the Chiltern Athenaeum Museum building to get a climate control system. This will enable the Victorian gold rush town to protect their precious collection of items, photographs and records documenting the history of the Chiltern district and its people from the mid 1800s to the present.

To mark the 70th anniversary of Britain's atomic tests at Emu Field in South Australia – the first on terrestrial land in Australia – author and academic Dr Elizabeth Tynan speaks about her book, The Secret of Emu Field: Britain’s forgotten atomic tests in Australia. It was at Emu Field, SA on October 15, 1953 that a terrifying black mist spread across the land after an atomic bomb detonation (Totem 1), bringing death and sickness to Aboriginal people and other people in its path. Secrecy around the testing activities and its effects still exists today. Totem 2 was detonated on October 27, 1953. Elizabeth is an Associate Professor at James Cook University. Her previous book, Atomic Thunder: The Maralinga Story, won the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Australian History and the CHASS Australia Book Prize in 2017. Read about ICAN's Black Mist campaign here. Read Nic Maclellan's long-form article on the Emu Field tests.

Don Watson and Chris Wallace analyse the outcome of the Voice to Parliament referendum in-depth. They also examine Australia's response to the Israel-Palestine conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and Labor's unwavering support of AUKUS, as outlined in Don's recent essay in The Monthly. Don Watson is an award-winning author and former speechwriter to Paul Keating. His books include, Death Sentence: The Decay of Public Language, Recollections of a Bleeding Heart: A Portrait of Paul Keating PM, The Bush, and Watsonia. Professor Chris Wallace is a political historian, commentator, and former member of the Canberra Press Gallery and her books include, Political Lives: Australian prime ministers and their biographers and How To Win An Election.

To mark the 70th anniversary of Britain's atomic tests at Emu Field in South Australia – the first on terrestrial land in Australia – author and academic Dr Elizabeth Tynan speaks about her book, The Secret of Emu Field: Britain’s forgotten atomic tests in Australia. It was at Emu Field, SA on October 15, 1953 that a terrifying black mist spread across the land after an atomic bomb detonation (Totem 1), bringing death and sickness to Aboriginal people and other people in its path. Secrecy around the testing activities and its effects still exists today. Totem 2 was detonated on October 27, 1953. Elizabeth is an Associate Professor at James Cook University. Her previous book, Atomic Thunder: The Maralinga Story, won the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Australian History and the CHASS Australia Book Prize in 2017. Read about ICAN's Black Mist campaign here. Read Nic Maclellan's long-form article on the Emu Field tests.

Melbourne-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Claire Deak talks about her debut solo album, Sotto Voce, and two women composers of the Baroque whose music she explored and drew inspiration from – Francesca Caccini (1587-c.1645) and Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677). Claire delves into her neo-classical compositions and musical practice as we hear some of her atmospheric and imaginative new works throughout the interview. Sotto Voce is out via Lost Tribe Sound.

Tracklist (in order) as aired in the last interview:

Claire Deak - Prefigured (Ritornello)

Claire Deak - Dolce Tormento

Claire Deak - Liberated Sighs

Claire Deak - A Million Cloaked Ghosts

Melbourne-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Claire Deak talks about her debut solo album, Sotto Voce, and the two women composers of the Baroque whose music she recovered and reimagined – Francesca Caccini (1587-c. 1645) and Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677). Some of their compositions are intuitively sensed and worked into new compositions by Claire using a range of Baroque and modern instruments, as well as innovative modern and analogue recording techniques that bend our concept of time. Claire delves into her neo-classical compositions and musical practice as we hear some of her atmospheric and imaginative new works throughout the interview. Claire has kindly given us permission to feature her music in the podcast for your listening enjoyment. Sotto Voce is out via Lost Tribe Sound. Visit Claire Deak's Bandcamp page here.

Tracklist (in order) as aired in the interview:

Claire Deak - Prefigured (Ritornello)

Claire Deak - Dolce Tormento

Claire Deak - Liberated Sighs

Claire Deak - A Million Cloaked Ghosts

Indigenous leader Thomas Mayo and award-winning journalist Kerry O'Brien sit down with Amy for a special in-depth conversation about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament, which Australians will vote on in a referendum this Saturday 14th October 2023. Thomas and Kerry explain the history behind the Voice, why we should support it, and the consequences if we don't. They also debunk the many myths and misconceptions around it. Thomas Mayo is a proud Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander man. Playwright, speechwriter, and philosopher Daniel Nellor speaks with Amy about his new book, What Are They Thinking? Conversations with Australian Philosophers. Daniel explores what philosophy is with the ten philosophers in the book – among many other themes – and examines what Australian philosophers like Peter Singer, Daniel Halliday, and Margaret Cameron, are thinking and writing about today. Dr Emma Shortis, Senior Researcher in the International and Security Affairs Program at The Australia Institute stopped by to discuss the latest in US politics, including the ousting of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the ongoing court cases against Donald Trump, and the sudden escalation in the Israel-Palestine conflict and the US' response to it. The CNN interview with Dr Mustafa Barghouti on 8 October 2023 can be watched here: https://twitter.com/FareedZakaria/status/1711073549593493988

Triple R's very own Daniel James and The Monthly's Rachel Withers sit down with Amy to delve into the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, providing an analysis and answer to every question you might have about it before you vote at the upcoming referendum. Daniel James is a Yorta Yorta man, writer, broadcaster, and host of The Mission on 3RRR. Rachel Withers is Contributing Editor of The Monthly and columnist for The Politics. Acclaimed writer and journalist David Marr speaks in-depth about his new book, Killing for Country: A Family Story, which details Marr's great-great grandfather Reg Uhr's involvement in Australia's frontier wars of the nineteenth century as an officer of the Queensland Native Police. Uhr also recruited his two sons into the Native Police. Marr explains how the dispossession of land and massacres of Aboriginal people occurred and how they fought back. He also explains the historical significance of this story for Australian politics today. To celebrate a great year of footy so far and a controversially close AFL Grand Final, Greg Champion, broadcaster, 3RRR alumni, musician, and member of the Coodabeen Champions, comes in with his guitar to chat and sing some old and new footy songs, including a few from his new album, Footy Songs Vol. 4.

Acclaimed writer and journalist David Marr speaks in-depth about his new book, Killing for Country: A Family Story, which details Marr's great-great grandfather Reg Uhr's involvement in Australia's frontier wars of the nineteenth century as an officer of the Queensland Native Police. Uhr also recruited his two sons into the Native Police. Marr explains how the dispossession of land and massacres of Aboriginal people occurred and how they fought back. He also explains the historical significance of this story for Australian politics today.

Amy's first ever interview for Uncommon Sense was with Peter Wohlleben about his debut book, The Hidden Life of Trees. Now, the German forester, conservationist, and best-selling author returns to discuss his latest book, The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us If We Let Them. Amy and Peter delve into a wide-range of themes from the book.

He reveals how together trees can create their own climate and weather systems, how trees communicate with birds and insects to protect themselves, the fascinating ways trees respond in situations of unexpected drought, the intricate and unexpected relationship dynamics between fungi, bacteria, and trees, and why ancient or old growth trees will play a key role in combatting climate change. Peter Wohlleben discusses these topics and much more.

Peter tells us that, "the term 'mother tree' is a very old German scientific term. It's been used for centuries in Germany, because foresters always knew there is some way of care. And nowadays we know it more exactly, it's to create shadow [and] it's for caring for their own seedlings. The mother tree is able to detect with the root tips whether it is an oak or beech tree near it, [and] if the seedlings are their own seedlings or seedlings from different trees."

Professor Chris Wallace from the University of Canberra talks federal politics, including the latest developments in the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum campaign, the widely criticised and newly announced COVID-19 inquiry, and reporting on the Home Affairs Secretary who has stepped aside while an investigation is conducted by the APS Commissioner.

Amy's first ever interview for Uncommon Sense was with Peter Wohlleben about his debut book, The Hidden Life of Trees. Now, the German forester, conservationist, and best-selling author returns to discuss his latest book, The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us If We Let Them. Amy and Peter delve into a wide-range of themes from the book.

He reveals how together trees can create their own climate and weather systems, how trees communicate with birds and insects to protect themselves, the fascinating ways trees respond in situations of unexpected drought, the intricate and unexpected relationship dynamics between fungi, bacteria, and trees, and why ancient or old growth trees will play a key role in combatting climate change. Peter Wohlleben discusses these topics and much more.

Sonya Takau, a proud Jirrbal Rainforest Aboriginal woman from Tully, QLD and Communications Officer of the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation, and Alix Livingstone, Founding Director of Defend the Wild discuss the historic National First Nations’ Dingo Declaration, which has been signed by representatives from more than 20 First Nations groups saying that, “lethal control should never be an option”. They talk about the significance of the dingo to First Nations peoples and Country, why dingo culling has to stop, and the non-lethal options for protecting livestock from predators. They also talk about the upcoming Order in Council renewal deadline on October 1st in Victoria, which "unprotects dingoes" in certain circumstances – allowing for the killing of dingoes to protect livestock on private land and along the boundaries of public land in some areas of the state.