Past Programs
Lifestyle and Leisure - 2007
Birdwatching
21/12/2007
Our discussion today is about the pleasures of birding, birdwatching, or twitching ... Whether you're inspired by budgies in a cage, birds of prey flying high in the wild, or you simply like reciting Monty Python's 'Dead Parrot' sketch, we'd love to hear from you about birds and birding. How do you watch a bird?
Originally broadcast 14 August 2007.
Birdwatching
14/08/2007
Our discussion today is about the pleasures of birding, birdwatching, or twitching ... Whether you're inspired by budgies in a cage, birds of prey flying high in the wild, or you simply like reciting Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch, we'd love to hear from you about birds and birding. How do you watch a bird?
Protocol
13/07/2007
What place does protocol play in modern Australia? How do the rituals of public and private life reflect the makeup of our society? Does it matter if we don't know how to layout a formal dinner service or which way to hang the Australian flag in your local hall? This program reflects on the changing nature of protocols and procedures in Australia life; everything from 'welcome to country', to appropriate menu planning for your visiting Japanese business colleagues.
Public space laws
12/07/2007
Around the country politicians at both local and state level have legislated public space. The laws are designed to preserve the public's right to enjoy public space without harassment... but what are the unintended consequences of these laws?
Taking a walk
06/07/2007
We will be taking a walk with Tony Kevin, author of Walking the Camino, a modern pilgrimage to Santiago. We will be discussing the therapeutic value of walking. We want to hear your experience about walking...be it along the South Coast trek in Tasmania to check out the spectacular wilderness, or 'rambling' throughout the English countryside -- or you may have taken the historic pub crawl while in Britain...we want to hear your stories about the joys of walking.
The changing nature of retirement
26/06/2007
The changing nature of retirement is our discussion topic today. It's meant to be one of the best times of your life; a reward for long years spent in the workforce; but new research suggests that Australians may be retiring from the workforce too early. Should we be rethinking what retirement actually means?
Australian circus dynasties
22/06/2007
We want to hear your memories back of the days when the circus came to town.
Do you remember the large canvas tents, the sawdust floors, wooden benches, elephants and colourful caravans? Oral historian Andrea Lemon has recorded the stories of Australia's circus families and excerpts of those stories, accompanied by photographs by Cal MacKinnon and family memorabilia, are currently on display as 'The Circus Diaries' exhibition.
It can be viewed at the Victorian Arts Centre in Melbourne until July the 15th.
Humour - the dark side.
17/04/2007
Humour is something that usually unites people - you can have a joke at your own expense, or more often, at someone else's. It's light-hearted fun.
And sometimes dark humour, parody, or satire is able to say things that no political commentator can. A good piece of dark humour can also lighten a tense situation. Just last night on ABC-TV's Australian Story, two of the rescuers of Todd Russell and Grant Webb from the Beaconsfield mine collapse remembered their first words to Brad as 'How's the Jenny Craig diet going?' And the other rescuer said to one: 'You're still an ugly so and so' and to the other, 'You're still a fat bastard.' ... and they all laughed.
But how soon after a disaster is it appropriate to make jokes about it? And what is the benefit of laughing to us; is it a survival mechanism in difficult situations?
Admit One: Brisbane goes to the pictures.
13/04/2007
After the Second World War there were ten 2,000-seat cinemas filled to the rafters every night of the week across Brisbane, creating communities and social networks across the city; until television began...
This program celebrates a vibrant regional culture of cinema-going and community building in Queensland's capital. People with generations of experience in the industry will share their memories, and we'll also look at the future of the independent cinemas up against the culture of the multiplex.
This is a live broadcast from the Ithaca Auditorium at Brisbane's Town Hall in conjunction with the exhibition 'Admit One; Brisbane goes to the pictures', produced by the Museum of Brisbane.
Australia Talks (Silent) Movies
09/02/2007
In the first edition of Australia Talks Movies for 2007, Paul Barclay is joined by RN's movie critic and 'Movie Time' host Julie Rigg to talk about the continuing allure of the silent movies made in cinema's 'Golden Age'. They'll be joined by some modern-day filmmakers whose new films are tributes to the silent days.
The Australian Diaspora Read Transcript
06/02/2007
On Australia Talks we're packing our bags and taking a flight to find out more about our expat community. Why are people leaving and why do some never return? Could more be done to draw back skilled and bright expats?
