The vibrant and colourful collections of this Brisbane based fashion label are featured in an exclusive exhibition until October 5 at the Museum of Brisbane, tucked inside Brisbane’s glittering City Hall.

Co-owner Troy Casey (Kamilaroi) tells us on Streets of Your Town how having their creations on display is a pivotal moment in the evolution of Magpie Goose - giving visitors a glimpse of how they use fashion as a canvas for storytelling.

“The stories are not about time,” Troy says. “They’re about country and connection and culture and community, and these stories are both ancient and contemporary in nature. That's what makes the brand so special."

For more shownotes and links go to my Streets of Your Town magazine for this episode at soyt.substack.com

I was lucky enough to hear him play a couple of sets of his Australian folklore at the Woodford Folk Festival, and wanted to share his talents with Streets of Your Town.

It was his first Woodford Folk Festival, and while the heat of this Queensland summer was a shock to the Victorian Moe born and bred raconteur, he loved having the blank canvas of a rural woodland as the backdrop for his songs of struggle and the country characters he grew up with .

The bush space offered the perfect palette for creatives such as Kris to become just one part of a chain that keeps the magical land of Woodfordia alive forever.

Kris tells us on Streets of Your Town how his songwriting is rooted in finding the beauty in the hardships we all go through, and defying the temptation to jump on board with the negative. He says to find beauty in everyday events is the challenge that brings him so much joy.

For more shownotes and links go to my Streets of Your Town substack magazine for this episode at soyt.substack.com

This spellbinding singer and percussionist taps into the DNA of generations of creatives before her as half of the duo Mama Kin Spender - mesmerising audiences with her firebrand performances and songwriting.

Mama Kin Spender’s latest album Promises was nominated for an Aria this year, and on this episode of Streets of Your Town Danielle tells us how she lays her heart bare in the lyrics and emotion of this album, going into the layers of the demise and saving of her relationship with fellow musician John Butler.

She also wholeheartedly explores how to stay fierce as a woman and is unapologetic about desiring success and recognition for her work.

It was such a joy to speak to Danielle from her base at the eclectic creative hub of Fremantle in Perth about her songwriting, her upcoming performance at Woodford Folk Festival on the other side of the country, and her philanthropic work.

For more shownotes and links go to my Streets of Your Town substack magazine for this episode at soyt.substack.com

Wren Valentino is an author, playwright, actor, film producer, entrepreneur and teacher based in Sacremento California. He’s the CEO and owner of Blue Dasher Productions, helping to bring more than 100 independent movies to the screen and championing the transformative power of the arts. Eight of his original screenplays and seven of his stage plays have been adapted for the screen.

And by an incredible stroke of kismet, this little Aussie Wandering journo met Wren almost exactly 30 years ago in a youth hostel in New York, where we bonded our friendship by sharing our artistic dreams over a hair dryer, while listening to a banging 80’s soundtrack during one of the city’s most savage snowstorms. 

And we celebrate all of that on this episode of Streets of Your Town. 

For more shownotes and links go to my Streets of Your Town substack magazine for this episode at soyt.substack.com

You can find more information on Wren on Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok. You can find more of his works at wrenvalentino.com

For Cairns based journalist, media trainer and author Kirsty Nancarrow, her bestselling and now award winning book Himalayan Dreams is proof that you never know what could be around the corner.

As a journalist for 15 years with ABC Radio in Queensland’s far north, Kirsty had covered literally thousands of stories for broadcast. However one of them stuck with her more than any other.

She met Som Tamang after the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Som was living in Cairns but still had strong links to his homeland of Nepal through his ongoing work with the organisation he founded - Friends of Himalayan Children. He went straight back to Nepal with volunteers from Cairns to help in the aftermath of of the earthquake where thousands of people lost their lives.

Kirsty soon discovered the backstory - that Som had made it his mission since escaping child slavery himself, to give all Nepalese children access to education and a better life.

She would eventually go to Batase Village as a volunteer teacher 18 months later, and decided then to write the story of this remarkable man in her first book.

As Kirsty tells us on Streets of Your Town, she is constantly inspired by Som’s story and how much of a difference he has made particularly for girls, saving many from a life of early marriage and back breaking labour. She says he shows the difference that anyone can make when they don’t allow the obstacles in their life to overcome them.

For more shownotes and links - please go to my Streets of Your Town magazine for this episode at soyt.substack.com

You can find more information on Kirsty at https://www.kirstynancarrow.com/

But just when he thought his talents were all coming to fruition, it was cruelly turned around in a way he didn’t expect.

However on reflection, he’s realised now that experience was a gift, and that what we sometimes see as failure, can be turned into success.

Garret has taken his singing from the bush where he grew up in Rockhampton in central Queensland, to all over Australia, performing and teaching the next generation of First Nations talent wherever he goes.

And as he tells us on Streets of Your Town from the dressing rooms of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre before another performance, he’s now come full circle, returning to performing the musicals that he first fell in love with.

For more shownotes and links - please go to my Streets of Your Town magazine for this episode at soyt.substack.com

You can find Garret on Instagram @garretrueben and his single Circles on Spotify

However multi-instrumentalist, choir leader, singer and performer Kate Barzdo shows that creativity can burst forth at any time in our life, but only if we heed it and listen to it.

Kate has emerged from the recording studio again and released her third album of uplifting and inspirational melodic sounds that come straight from her heart.

Called Be the Love - this album defies genres with a mix of folk, country, gospel and reggae, and as Kate tells us on this episode of Streets of Your Town, it’s filled with messages of hope peace and joy. Kate is a strong advocate for the benefits of music in everyone’s lives.

For more shownotes and links - go to my Streets of Your Town magazine for this episode at soyt.substack.com

Bunna Lawrie is the frontman and founding member of the band Coloured Stone, whose song Black Boy released in 1984 is still an anthem for First Nations people.

He most recently performed at the Sydney Opera House in Generations and Dynasties, alongside his children, sharing stories of resilience, creativity, discrimination and empowerment through their music.

The proud Mirning Elder from the Nullarbor is also a passionate environmentalist and whale dreamer as well as his prolific music career, where he continues the songlines of his people to protect these ancient creatures.

He is a leader in the Fight for the Bight campaign, working against big oil and gas exploration companies in efforts to have the Great Australian Bight preserved as a World Heritage Site.

His connection to country and fight to protect it make him a perfect fit for Streets of Your Town podcast, and we are so lucky to have him share his story with us.

For more shownotes and links - go to my Streets of Your Town magazine for this episode at soyt.substack.com

nancehaxton.com.au

Fat Girl may sound like a confronting title for a one woman show, but as Danielle tells us on Streets of Your Town - it’s an apt moniker for her  unapologetic take on body dysmorphia, societal norms, and inner demons.

She’s fresh from winning the 2025 Darwin Fringe Festival “Risky Award”, and is now taking her defiant show on the road with a quick season in her home town of Brisbane, and invitations to take it further afield.

Drawing on her background in improvisational comedy and blending that with live performance, Danielle brings disarming honesty to the stage to make us all take a sharp breath before questioning our own assumptions, with a deeply personal yet universal story of reclaiming space, voice and worth.

https://anywhere.is/event/fat-girl/

For more shownotes and links - please go to my Streets of Your Town magazine for this episode at soyt.substack.com

nancehaxton.com.au

So much so that the Queensland country region famed for producing bacon in many different varieties celebrates this feat with an annual Baconfest Festival.

Kingaroy in the South Burnett will become the hub for all things bacon related over the weekend of August 15 to 16, bringing with it a variety of country music performers and incredible food.

Local girl and country singer Amber Goldsmith is supporting headline act Troy Cassar-Daly for the main Saturday night concert. She tells us how excited she is to bring the region she loves to a bigger stage for more people to appreciate.

While Chief Baconeer Rob Fitz-Herbert tells us how the lure of the South Burnett converted this once city boy into an unabashed country man.

Yarning over the coals of a backyard fire in this chilly part of the world, he tells us why Baconfest is much more than eating fabulous food that’s produced in the region.

https://www.kingaroybaconfest.com.au/

https://www.ambergoldsmithmusic.com

For more shownotes and links - please go to my Streets of Your Town magazine for this episode at soyt.substack.com

nancehaxton.com.au

This is the premise for the play The Visitors about the monumental events of 1788 from an Aboriginal perspective, giving audiences a unique opportunity to see these events from a viewpoint not covered by the history books.

The play first debuted in 2020 and has evolved since. Overseeing the evolution of The Visitors is director and Quandamooka playwright Wesley Enoch, now the newly appointed chair of the Australia Council Board of Creative Australia.

He tells us on Streets of Your Town about the significance of this play showing an Aboriginal perspective on colonisation, particularly given contemporary events. He talks about his hopes that people who are challenged by the idea of seeing historical events from an Aboriginal point of view are exactly those who come to see The Visitors.

We also hear from actors John Blair and Zoe Walters about the responsibility they feel and take to heart every time they perform in The Visitors, standing on the harbour rocks on stage that form the foundation of this story.

For more shownotes and links - please go to my substack for this episode at soyt.substack.com

nancehaxton.com.au

This adaptation of Dario Fo’s timeless political farce is relocated to 1980s Brisbane in the tense years leading up to the Fitzgerald Inquiry. It’s fast, funny, and fiercely relevant, exploring themes of institutional corruption, public trust, and the chaotic pursuit of truth through the lens of satire and theatrical madness.

Police corruption was rife in Queensland at the time, and it took brave journalists to uncover it. It was blown apart by the ABC Four Corners investigation by Chris Masters called The Moonlight State, alongside courageous reporting from Phil Dickie at The Courier-Mail. Eventually the extent of the systemic police corruption was revealed, and shown to go right to the top to the Commissioner himself.

Evidence from the resulting two year Fitzgerald Inquiry would ultimately lead to four government ministers and police commissioner Terry Lewis going to jail, and the demise of the Joh Bjelke-Petersen government. 

For this episode of Streets of Your Town I speak to the play’s director Calum Johnston, and Pip Theatre’s Creative Director Deidre Grace who adapted the play to its Brisbane setting and also stars in this production. We find out what prompted them to feature this shady chapter of Queensland history.

For more shownotes and links - please go to my substack for this episode at soyt.substack.com

nancehaxton.com.au

And that theme has inspired this episode of Streets of Your Town.

Renowned Torres Strait Islander artist Ken Thaiday is a cultural custodian whose remarkable kinetic sculptures have featured in exhibitions around the world.

Together with his son Paul Thaiday, they are restoring and creating new artworks for this year’s Cairns Indigenous Art Fair or CIAF, starting on July 10.

Born and raised on Darnley Island - the man affectionately known as Uncle Ken has spent decades interpreting traditional Torres Strait Islander ceremonies through these striking moving sculptures, dance masks and headdresses that move with dancer and appear to come to life.

He uses a mix of modern and traditional techniques and materials to keep his culture alive, continuing a tradition that has been handed down for hundreds of generations over thousands of years.

Even now in his senior years, with his mobility declining, Uncle Ken cuts bamboo to exact proportions on his lap ready for assembly, with the armrests of his wheelchair also showing the saw marks from his work.

As Uncle Ken and Paul tell us on this episode of Streets of Your Town, these three shark masks and three dugong sculptures are symbolic ceremonial objects, that show the power of intergenerational collaboration.

Streets of your Town podcast would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians on whose land this story was gathered, the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji peoples.

I acknowledge that for tens of thousands of years First Nations people walked this country and shared stories on this great land down under, and I walk in their footsteps today.  

I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.

For more shownotes and links - please go to my substack for this episode at soyt.substack.com

nancehaxton.com.au

And for 128 years, this little town that is not much more than a roadhouse and a pub has hosted the annual Laura Amateur Turf Club Race meeting, attracting jockeys, horses and racegoers from all over the state.

Fans and competitors alike come from hundreds of kilometres around to take part in what has grown into an internationally known race, rodeo and campdraft event, all surrounded by a huge bush camp thronging with 3000 fans  gathering for the weekend’s festivities. Tickets to this year’s event on the last weekend of June completely sold out.

On this episode of Streets of Your Town, we’ll meet some of the amazing bush characters and rodeo riders that keep this annual tradition alive, and even a couple of the journos who keep on top of their 150,000 kilometre patch of wild outback country to report what’s going on for their treasured Cape York Weekly readership - in one of the few print editions of a weekly regional newspaper left in Queensland.

You'll the legendary 80 year old former jockey Slick Davies - who now acts as the caretaker all year round for the Laura racetrack, so that it’s ready for its annual moment of race day glory. He was kind enough to speak to me just before the Laura Races, from the verandah of his house overlooking the track he takes so much pride in.

Slick is joined by his old mate Bluey Forsyth - who’s called the Laura Races and many others on the country horse racing circuit in Queensland’s far-north for decades. I love how you can hear their close mateship reflected in their conversation…

Then of course there are the rodeo riders like Anthony Ryan who make this annual event such a spectacle.

Shandelle Hilditch talks to us too - she's competed in campdraft and rodeo events on the circuit since she was a child, and now takes great pride in her children taking part as well.

Spending the weekend at the Laura Races and Rodeo has shown me not only what a great event this is for bringing together locals from all around the far flung reaches of this remote stretch of far-north Queensland, but it’s also shown me the cultural importance of keeping this Australian tradition alive.

As shown by the presence of two reporters from the Cape York Weekly - the editor Lyndon Keane and journo Chisa Hasegawa, who reported extensively on the event. We talk to them in this special edition nod to my Journo Project series.

Thanks to all the characters who I met at the Laura Races Rodeo and campdraft who you can hear in this order:

• Laura Racetrack caretaker Slick Davies and race caller Bluey Forsyth from 2:53
• International professional bull rider Anthony Ryan from 13:59
• Legendary campdraft and rodeo rider Shandell Hilditch 18:38
• Cape York Weekly journo Chisa Hasegawa and editor Lyndon Keane from 24:25

You can read the latest happenings in this remote corner of the world at the Cape York Weekly here: https://capeyorkweekly.com.au/

For more shownotes and links - please go to my substack for this episode at soyt.substack.com

nancehaxton.com.au

This chat with Kate Baggerson I hope will inspire you to be more creative in your everyday life, as it did for me.

The executive director of Everybody Now is celebrating the tenth year of this unique arts organisation which harnesses the power of storytelling, creativity and artistic collaboration to make art with impact all around Australia and now overseas.

To mark the anniversary year, Kate Baggerson tells us on Streets of Your Town how Everybody Now is doing a year-long program of events collaborating with artists, community members and organisations across the country, celebrating the power of art as a catalyst for social cohesion, and to improve our wellbeing.

Upcoming dates for Everybody Now productions in its tenth anniversary year 2025 include:

2–4 July: ‘Tin Can Radio’ at Mackay Festival.

19 July: Ipswich Civic Centre 50th Anniversary concert event.

September: ‘Artist in Place’ Residency 2 creating immersive soundscapes with Kombumerri man Lann Levinge.

October: ‘Artist in Place’ Residency 3 Home Stories with award-winning puppeteer and theatre artist Ros Oades.

September - October: Artist-led workshop ‘Creative and Connected’ to generate social connection and wellbeing.

November: ‘A Place to Belong’ - a new collaboration between Everybody NOW! and UK based global design sensation Morag Myerscough.

29 November: Art in the Park - Everybody NOW’s annual, open and accessible Art in the Park event

For more shownotes and links - please go to my substack for this episode at soyt.substack.com

nancehaxton.com.au

The Scenic Rim spans more than four thousand kilometres with landscapes ranging from lush rainforests to rolling paddocks and serene lakes, with stunning views and an increasingly world renowned foodie scene.

This June is Scenic Rim’s Eat Local Month - and Streets of Your Town is taking you there to the cornucopia of pleasures on offer from the region’s farmers, who are increasingly teaming up with local chefs to create unique experiences from farm to plate.

Eat Local Month is a great opportunity to meet the makers - as I did at the launch of the event to whet the appetite for the 100 unique culinary experiences just an hour’s drive from Brisbane and the Gold Coast that fill June with joy - ranging from a Long Lunch under the Jacarandas to High Tea and Cocktails in the Rainforest.

So sit down with me and Executive Chef and Owner of restaurant Roastbeef and the Frog Olivier Boudon, and then Theresa Scholl from Valley Pride Produce to hear about how they are diversifying into agritourism and making meaningful connections with customers right on the farm.

For more shownotes and links - please go to my substack for this episode at soyt.substack.com

https://www.eatlocalmonth.com.au/

nancehaxton.com.au

She’s been taking tourists back stage around Glasgow’s renowned live scene for ten years now, sharing many stories from decades past right up to the present about the iconic performers who have come to the city to perform, or who made their big debut here.

And even though Australia is about as far away from Glasgow as you can get - she hears that rich vein of musical influence clearly - going both ways across the seas.

So come get your walking shoes on and join Fiona and I at the celebrated Glasgow live venue King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, to chat about how Glasgow became so celebrated that it became one of the first three cities in the world to be given the title of UNESCO City of Music.

For more shownotes and links - please go to my substack for this episode at soyt.substack.com

https://glasgowmusiccitytours.com/

nancehaxton.com.au

While I was in Glasgow, I was lucky enough to meet Graham Mackenzie from award winning instrumental folk trio Assynt. Sitting in his Glasgow living room, his fiddle sits between us, never far from his thoughts, as we chat about the band's recent Australian tour.

The band launched in 2018, and had long held aspirations to play in Australia. Even the pandemic - while delaying their plans - couldn’t hold them back for long, and last year they came to the Woodford Folk Festival to perform and do workshops. The trio also toured down the East Coast on a hectic trip for the Festival of Small Halls.

Inspired by the great piping, fiddle and Gaelic traditions of the Highlands where he grew up in Inverness, McKenzie’s self-penned melodies for Assynt have a contemporary edge while rooted in centuries-long musical traditions.

Graham tells us on Streets of Your Town how he is relieved to find their workshops and performances both in Scotland and Australia are now filled with young people embracing their fiddles and traditional Celtic instruments, and wanting to pick up tips. 

One of his favourite aspects of coming to Australia was hearing First Nations performers at Woodford Folk Festival, seeing it as a rare opportunity for two age-old cultures to learn from each other.

For more shownotes - please go to my substack for this episode at soyt.substack.com

Tim Hanafin has lived in Kerry all of his 85 years, in a tiny village called Inch. The town is still known by many as the location where the epic Oscar-winning movie Ryan’s Daughter was filmed, putting County Kerry on the tourist trail in the 1970s.

Tim is known throughout the Dingle Peninsula as the man who recites poetry from a deep well of decades of learning, with a poem appropriate for every event, whether it be wedding, funeral or spontaneous celebration.

When I speak to him in front of a cosy fire at Foley’s Bar overlooking the miles of sand dunes constantly evolving on Inch Beach, it doesn’t take long for the Australian influence on this far-flung county to appear from his extensive back catalogue of poetry.

Tim tells us how he thinks the affinity the Irish have with Australians goes back to the days of British rule, and continues to be expressed to this day.

and for more shownotes please go to my substack for this episode at soyt.substack.com

Here on Streets of Your Town, we’ve been lucky enough to watch Vidya Makan’s singing and writing prowess be recognised over a few short years.

We first met her in the pivotal role of Catherine Parr in the juggernaut Australian production of Six, then as the creator, writer and performer in her musical The Lucky Country at Hayes Theatre in Sydney, and now we catch up with her again in one of the most competitive and sought after roles around the world - as Eliza Hamilton in Hamilton.

And for those who can’t get to Sydney for this run, make sure you watch ABC TV on December 20 at 730pm or the digital broadcast on Iview, to see Vidya’s part in A Very Musical Christmas, recorded in Sydney and with all proceeds going to mental health charity Beyond Blue. 

Her greatest joy is watching her fellow performers shine. Sit back and enjoy our chat on Streets of Your Town, with Vidya Makan.

and for more shownotes please go to my substack for this episode at https://soyt.substack.com/p/makan-creamer-mcgrady

Emerging First Nations playwright Alinta McGrady tells us on this episode of Streets of Your Town how she took her idea born in covid lockdown and created this fast-paced action packed show that is about to open in one of Brisbane’s most prestigious theatres.

This is just the start for this talented Aboriginal woman who has been storytelling in various forms her entire life.

Eat Slay Zombie shines a spotlight on modern Blak and queer experiences through a horror/comedy lens, with a fresh take on the hero narrative that places historically marginalised characters at the forefront of a dangerous world.

Will our Blak women heroes survive this nightmare, and navigate a world that is actively trying to kill them?

Let’s sit down for a chat with Alina to get some insight into her creative process….

and for more shownotes on Alinta please go to my substack on this episode at https://soyt.substack.com/p/makan-creamer-mcgrady

Joshua Creamer is a proud Waanyi and Kalkadoon man, who still sees himself as the boy from Mt Isa. But his role now is Chair of the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry in Queensland - which has been gathering the history of the state since July 1 this year.

He tells us how significant this Inquiry is for Queensland and Australia, and what a privilege it is for him to lead this once in a generation investigation to give Indigenous people a voice in Queensland’s history.

and for more show notes on Joshua please go to my shownotes at https://soyt.substack.com/p/makan-creamer-mcgrady

The Irish accents flew thick and fast, to the accompaniment of the bodran, Eilean pipes, tin whistle and fiddle.

Jack O’Leary is one of the musicians who makes this weekly quest to reconnect with his homeland.

He tells us on Streets of Your Town, how Irish music and Australian culture have intertwined, to the degree that you can find a similar Irish music session, at most cities and towns throughout Australia.

Contact Streets of Your Town host Nance Haxton AKA The Wandering Journo and find socials links HERE

Get the full story, and join The Wandering Journo tribe at substack.soyt.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vince Jones is well known not only in this country but throughout the world as one of Australia’s most renowned jazz musicians. 

He tells us how the love of his craft started young, in the lively jazz surrounds of Scotland.

And after half a century of performing, and a lifetime of loving music, Vince is gladly still on the road, performing and creating his distinctly Australian take on jazz music.

Contact Streets of Your Town host Nance Haxton AKA The Wandering Journo and find socials links HERE

Get the full story, and join The Wandering Journo tribe at substack.soyt.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s also mental, as the blind swimmer confronts the elements and conditions of the day and then figures out how to overcome them. 

Gerrard tells us on Streets of Your Town podcast how he is well into an intense training regimen preparing for his attempted channel crossing in August - swimming from the UK to France in his quest to become the first blind person to do so. 

It’s a big leap from his previous sport of running - having represented Australia in long distance running in three Paralympic Games and three IPC World Athletic Championships from 1996 to 2011, as well as the Paratriathlon at Tokyo 2022.

Contact Streets of Your Town host Nance Haxton AKA The Wandering Journo and find socials links HERE

Get the full story, and join The Wandering Journo tribe at substack.soyt.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So it is for Irish performer Ciaran Olohan, who is bringing his show The World of Musicals in Concert back to Australia for the fourth time.

And he’s not just taking it on the well worn route to the capital cities, Ciaran and his crew are doing the big lap of Australia, taking their show that has graced stages across the globe to some of Australia’s most off the beaten track locations as well.

Ciaran tells us on Streets of Your Town, how music has always been a part of his life from his childhood in County Wicklow to today with a career taking him to the US, Canada, Germany, Norway, Spain and China. And he ponders how much Irish music and Australian musical traditions have in common.

Contact Streets of Your Town host Nance Haxton AKA The Wandering Journo and find socials links HERE

Get the full story, and join The Wandering Journo tribe at substack.soyt.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elise admits that despite her success as a musicals performer, like anyone, there are days that get the better of her, and that’s how she decided to create the stress and motivation app Hey Lemonade.

Together with her fellow performer friend Lucy Durack they hope to turn around people’s woes with the Hey Lemonade app that they designed and built.

As Elise explains, the app offers three-minute talks on various topics, written by a team of writers and psychologists, and delivered by a diverse range of well known voices from the entertainment industry. A bit like a portable pick me up in your pocket.

Contact Streets of Your Town host Nance Haxton AKA The Wandering Journo and find socials links HERE

Get the full story, and join The Wandering Journo tribe at substack.soyt.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

But her path to songwriting was far from guaranteed. In fact, it wasn't until her family saw Kasey Chambers’ family group The Dead Ringer Band perform in Broken Hill that country music became a family career. Her Dad thought it would be a great way to make a living, so they all became self-taught musicians.

After several local talent quests, the Lee family packed their lives into a caravan and hit the road on two laps of Australia and a six-month stint in Arnhem Land performing in their travelling country family band, The Lees. Raechel, the eldest, was aged only 12, but it’s a lifestyle she has taken on as her own into adulthood with her husband Ben and three children on the road as well.

And as Raechel tells us on Streets of Your Town, her songs don’t flinch from telling the hardships as well as the fun times of life in rural and remote Australia.

Contact Nance AKA The Wandering Journo and find socials links HERE

Get the full story, and join The Wandering Journo tribe at substack.soyt.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yirinda combines ancient Aboriginal language performed by Butchulla songman Fred Leone with dramatic soundscapes from Samuel Pankhurst, accompanied by a string quartet, to invoke thousands of generations of story and culture through music.

The band has just released its debut album on vinyl, CD and digital following on from their performance debut at last year’s Brisbane Festival, before going on to play at the Woodford Folk Festival over New Years. 

Fred and Samuel tell Streets of Your Town about their unique evocative sound evolved,  and their excitement taking Yirinda on the road with a tour up Australia’s east coast, finishing in Cairns on May 31.

Contact Nance AKA The Wandering Journo and find socials links HERE

Get the full story, and join The Wandering Journo tribe at substack.soyt.com

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With the Netflix series adaptation of his first breakthrough novel Boy Swallows Universe now number one in Australia and top ten in the US, it’s time to revisit this Brisbane born and bred talent, whose gritty but hopeful representations of the wrong side of town in his novels have thrust beloved Brissie icons such as the Story Bridge onto the worldwide map.

He knows this underworld because he grew up in it, and Trent tells us on Streets of Your Town how he never could have envisioned as a young child how a story he wrote could one day make it onto screens around the country and around the globe.

Contact Nance AKA The Wandering Journo and find socials links HERE

Get the full story, and join The Wandering Journo tribe at substack.soyt.com

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And so off I meandered in Mildred the Cantankerous Kombi to the Woodford Folk Festival. It’s on every year in the foothills of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland helping hippies and hippies at heart to spread harmony and see in the New Year with three minutes of silent contemplation.

The festival attracts more than 130,000 people to the pop-up town of Woodfordia on the site of a former dairy farm, making it the largest gathering of artists and musicians in Australia.

Amidst this glorious muddy throng of people and throbbing music is a contemplative corner of Woodfordia called the Lettering House.

It’s where festival goers can go back to times gone by, and connect to their fellow Woodfordians the old fashioned, non-digital way - by writing a letter or typing it on an old fashioned type-writer.

A team of Woodfordian posties search out the identify of each letter recipient, often based on the vaguest of addresses and identifies, then get on their bikes to find them and deliver the letter by hand, or notify the recipient by text that they have a letter to pick up.

So sit back, and let's ponder the magic of the Lettering House through the words of Postal Clerk Aaron, who explains how they spread their little bit of writing wonder through the festival.

Contact Nance aka The Wandering Journo and find socials links HERE

Get the full story, and join The Wandering Journo tribe at substack.soyt.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Gill is the founder of children’s band The Quokkas, with a mission to show children a modern and inclusive Australia through song.

After his AFL career Nick went on to become a Channel 7 news reporter and then Breakfast radio host in Newcastle, but it’s writing songs for his twins that reflects the diversity of Australia that now keeps him awake at night.

He recruited an elite group of musicians to form The Quokkas, with the attitude that they’re learning as much from the kids as the kids are from the music.

They’ve just released a new album called Songs for Everyone, and have had their videos downloaded millions of times all around the world, on themes such as body positivity, cooperation and kindness. Nick Gill and fellow Quokkas member Matt McLaren talk to Nance Haxton about what's coming up in the future for this exciting children's music band.

Contact Nance AKA The Wandering Journo and find socials links HERE

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And I have brought back a glimpse of the action for Streets of Your Town from behind the scenes of the National Indigenous Service broadcast box, where the incredible NIRS commentators call the grand final live. From this tiny booth they broadcast the finals action to some of the most remote communities in outback Australia.

Indigenous players are the backbone of this great Australian game, and I speak to two NIRS broadcasting legends - Ron Rogers, and former Collingwood player Chris Egan.

They both give their insights into the magic that Aboriginal players bring to Australian Rules Football, and the privilege they feel broadcasting ball-by-ball to hopefully plant the seeds of dreams for more Indigenous players from remote communities to become part of the great game.

NIRS AFL commentator legend Ron Rogers has 25 years calling grand finals under his belt, and as he reveals not only does he do the commentary, he sets up the microphones and equipment before each game to broadcast on the AFL website, and to NIRS affiliated radio stations around the country.

While Chris Egan brings his experience as a former footballer for Collingwood to the broadcast team, giving insights into how players prepare and cope with the the big pressure games.

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This episode we return to the man who so kindly kicked off this crazy Streets of Your Town adventure!

The man whose storytelling is equally masterful with words or with the palette knife -  who is bookending this series by featuring in episode 1 and 100.

This internationally renowned artist - harking from a family of journo’s - generously started this podcast series by telling his story - from his idyllic country childhood to rebellious teen, and on to becoming Deputy Mayor of Brisbane, before rediscovering his creative talent anew.

Today we re-visit David Hinchliffe in his inner Brisbane city Fortitude Valley home - to find out what’s changed for him on the street where he lives, what’s different post pandemic, and what has remained the same or even more important than before. The same themes that all of us have pondered, as we reflect on our how our lives have changed too.

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The show broke all attendance records at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre during its 2022 season. 

But this Somerville House and Queensland Conservatorium graduate has not left her run there, and has now debuted her own musical written in collaboration with Sonya Suares, at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre, again to rave reviews.

The Sydney Morning Herald described Vidya as “a gifted storyteller”, and her show The Lucky Country as “remarkable” - where “national myth-making gets a well overdue shake-up”. 

We go backstage at the Hayes Theatre on Streets of Your Town to speak to Vidya after yet another standing ovation for The Lucky Country, and find out how this acclaimed Brisbane actor, singer and composer/lyricist came to realise a dream that she could be seen for who she truly is on stage.

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The Matt Hsu Obscure Orchestra has quickly established a following as one of Australia’s most respected ensembles, bringing together a diverse band of BIPOC, First Nations, disabled, non-binary queer and trans artists at the intersection of art and activism. 

Streets of Your Town takes you behind the scenes to one of the orchestra’s recent musical imaginings at the Museum of Brisbane, bringing the exhibits to life with a roving performance.

The 22-piece ensemble challenges many of the assumptions around traditional orchestras, replacing pomposity with dancing the night away to a range of world instruments made out of found objects.

And as the award-winning Taiwanese-Australian composer and multi-instrumentalist Matt Hsu tells us on Streets of Your Town, his otherworldly and joyful compositions aim to celebrate difference, promote inclusivity and bring together cultures.

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Have you ever looked down at what you’re wearing, or into your wardrobe, and wondered where those materials came from? 

Who made your outfit, and at what cost to them compared to the cost you paid for it? 

Or pondered what the true cost of that bargain t-shirt is when fast fashion wastage is taken into account? 

These questions are what drive sustainability consultant Jane Milburn on her quest to get as many people as possible thinking about the way they dress, and how to make better choices to become independent of fast fashion. 

She tells us on Streets of Your Town how low cost unethical clothes are creating pollution and contributing to modern day slavery, and how her recent travels for her Churchill Fellowship meeting 55 slow fashion practitioners from around the world has given her tips on how we can all play our part to reduce the burden of clothing waste on the world.

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He lives in a converted church in the little town of Boonah in Queensland’s Scenic Rim. 

Despite its close proximity to the bustling cities of Brisbane and the Gold Coast, much of the Scenic Rim remains untouched. 

So if you are lucky enough to go for a road trip through this magical area, make sure you keep an eye out for Angus, and if you’re lucky, he may even paint your portrait. 

On this day in Boonah, I was lucky enough to cross paths with Angus at his home - a beautiful old restored church in the middle of town, that he shares with his partner Jenny. 

He happily tells us how he and Jenny came to settle in this quiet corner of The Scenic Rim, and create their perfect colourful creative home to pursue their lifelong love of art.

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The multi-award winning musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda is winding up it’s Australian run with the Brisbane season ending on April 23. 

Before the show continues on its worldwide run, Julian reflects with us on Streets of Your Town, what it’s like to be part of a musical held in such esteem, that many of these Hamil-fans know more about the show’s intricacies than the cast.  

Such is the dedication of fans to the show that they have become something of a tribe - known universally as the Hamil-fam or Hamilfans.

One of the many great quirks of the show is that it relies heavily on rap as well as sung lyrics to tell the story of Alexander Hamilton - one of America’s founding fathers. It also features a diverse cast from a range of cultural backgrounds.

Such is the dedication of fans to the show that they have become something of a tribe - known universally as the Hamil-fam or Hamilfans.

Julian has arguably one of the most difficult roles in the cast, as swing.

As well as learning half a dozen parts in his role as a swing, he is also the cast representative for the worldwide Hamilton social justice initiatives Ham4Progress and the Racial Justice Taskforce - which he tells us is one of his most passionate projects as it fits so well with his sense of social justice.

And as Julian explains, being such a pivotal part of giving back to the communities that both inspired Hamilton and supported its success, has been one of his greatest rewards.

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But that’s exactly what has happened for Brisbane born and Melbourne based artist Tiana Khasi, whose eloquent and distinctive music will grace the WOMADelaide stage this weekend.

Her debut EP, Meghalaya – titled for Meghalaya, India, the land of the Khasi tribe whose name she proudly bears – is a testament to the power of her storytelling and ability to weave themes of family, self-empowerment and identity into the contemporary vernacular of Australian music. 

And as she tells us on Streets of Your Town, Tiana credits finding her voice at such a young age to her life’s journey honouring her Samoan and Indian heritage.

This combination of influences makes for a unique sound that was further honed from expert teaching at Brisbane’s Conservatorium. By exploring and integrating her past, Tiana creates a new take on soulful r and b that sets her apart. 

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The Tony, Grammy, Emmy, Olivier and Pulitzer Prize winning creator came to Brisbane this weekend, to watch the Australian company perform Hamilton - his worldwide musical juggernaut that combines jazz, hip hop, R&B and Broadway musical styles to tell the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton.

He also made a visit to the Brisbane Ludo studios where they make Bluey for a guest appearance on the Australian children’s show phenomena, and gave a press conference for selected media while in town.

For the first time on Streets of Your Town, I will play the entire 20 minute press conference with Lin-Manuel Miranda, because it’s so unusual to have this sort of access to someone who is essentially musical theatre royalty with a worldwide following. 

To say I was excited when I got the press conference invitation with a day’s notice is an understatement. I was not throwing away my shot on this one.

Lin-Manuel Miranda was delightfully frank giving insights into why he came to Australia now, and breaking down his song-writing process.

While COVID threw his initial plans to visit the Australian cast into chaos, even forcing their auditions for Hamilton onto zoom, he said he could not walk away from his commitment to meet the cast and see the show as soon as he could.

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The movie True Spirit was mostly filmed in south-east Queensland, with Jessica Watson’s courageous feats navigating some of the world’s most challenging stretches of ocean now tapping into a worldwide audience through Netflix.

Speaking to me by Zoom, Jessica Watson tells us on Streets of Your Town how the movie has taken many years of development with director Sarah Spillane and working closely with the star Teagan Croft, but she’s thrilled with the final results.

Watson says she hopes now more than a decade after her amazing feat, that if another young woman wanted to do something like this, she wouldn’t have to face the same obstacles she did.

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As it turns out Parvyn had just completed a cross country adventure from her South Australian home, bringing all her family up in her Subaru wagon so she could perform at the Festival. She brought her new solo expression to Woodford audiences for the first time, synthesising a lifetime of dance and song into into her debut record ‘Sa’.

Her eclectic influences range from electronica and jazz to her background in Sikh devotional music and her training in Indian classical music and dance. 

But while Parvyn was one of the farthest flung artists performing at this year’s festival, she’s actually also one of the longest participating - having come to the Woodford Folk Festival since she was a child. As Parvyn says - she’s been coming to Woodford before it was known as Woodford.

And as she tells us on Streets of Your Town, Parvyn feels grateful to be giving back to the Woodford Folk Festival post pandemic, just as her solo career is taking off, having been featured in Rolling Stone India.

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Aaron Burr is Hamilton’s nemesis in the show, and this young Indigenous performer tells me on Streets of Your Town how he is rising to the challenge of fleshing out this pivotal character.

He has shown his performing chops in the show for the past two years in a range of understudy and swing roles in Hamilton, overcoming covid disruptions to show his ability and now be given the responsibility of lead.

It’s a story that’s come full circle for Callan, showing his determination to succeed right from when he first got standing room only tickets to see Hamilton on Broadway, and came out buzzing with the belief that he would one day perform in the musical.

He even has the ticket from the show, with the promise he made to himself written on the back to prove it. Let’s sit down for a chat with this incredible performer.

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And as The Moving Stills vocalist and guitarist Tom Mahler tells us on Streets of Your Town, their dedication to getting to their next gig from their Central Coast base knows no bounds - hitting the road through 2023 as part of their Volcano tour as well as promoting their new album coming out in August.

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The critically acclaimed Brisbane actor, singer and composer/lyricist has forged her way quickly into the ultra competitive world of musical theatre not only as a performer, but also as a writer, winning awards for two musicals of her own creation now in development, one of which is slated to debut in Sydney’s Hayes Theatre in May next year. She stars as Catherine Parr in Six the Musical, and as she tells us on Streets of Your Town, it’s a show close to her heart.

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Watch and listen to Vidya Makan's song I Need You To See Me which she mentions in this interview, on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99WPIneNxG0

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The thrill of performing has never left Marcia Hines, not since she started singing in her church choir as a child in Boston more than 60 years ago.

She first moved to Australia from Boston to Sydney at just 16 years old, to star in the Australian production of Hair. Since then, she’s become one of Australia’s most beloved musical treasures, with a career spanning more than five decades, 22 albums, and countless chart topping singles and multi-platinum records globally.

In fact her need to connect with live audiences, has only grown stronger after the limitations of the pandemic.

"To be honest, Nance, it's just good for the business to be getting back on its feet, my business, my industry,” she says.

“It feels like we're coming home. And after what we've all gone through in the last few years, I'll have to say now, we need some joy, and that's what performers really like bringing to the table, joy.”

Marcia is an inspiration to women and Australians everywhere, constantly reinventing herself and setting industry benchmarks.

And as she tells us on Streets of Your Town, her urge to perform on stage is rebuilding anew as she starts the national tour of her latest show Velvet Rewired, which kicks off its run at a the Wynnum Fringe this week.

Vidya's song I need you to see me can be seen on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99WPIneNxG0

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So it was with international award winning photographer Erick Regnard. He and his twin brother Ian have travelled the world doing high-end art and advertising photography. 

They heard about the wonders of underwater photography in Niue, a tiny island off Tonga, with water so clear it was like being suspended in space.

And so they designed their underwater polaroid camera and housing, and after many months of planning took off on their adventure. In a true twist of fate they went searching for whales but instead came back with astounding underwater photos featuring a female model that make you question the laws of physics.

These photos have won awards from all around the world, and are now on display in a special exhibition called Floating Bits, in Brisbane’s Maud Street Photo Gallery.

Erick tells us in this episode of Streets of Your Town, what keeps driving his creative quest, after decades of taking astounding photos all around the world.

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The people of the Torres Strait Islands in far north Queensland have known for thousands upon thousand of years how their people have journeyed far across the Coral Sea, and now - finally - that First Nations knowledge is being more widely recognised.

The Queensland Museum exhibition Connections Across the Coral Sea: A Story of Movement,  brings together First Nations knowledge with archaeological research, showcasing for the first time a part of Queensland history that has not been previously acknowledged.

It shows how extensive international trade and relationships between ancient seafaring cultures of southern New Guinea, Torres Strait and the northeast coast of Queensland went back thousands of years, much further than science traditionally gave credence to.

I was lucky enough to interview a traditional owner whose expertise was pivotal in bringing this exhibition together, Dingaal spokesman Kenneth McLean, who explains how significant it is to have their extensive history given the platform it deserves.

I also spoke to one of the key archaeologists involved in this research, Professor of Indigenous Archaeology Ian McNiven from Monash University.

He says this exhibition is a pivotal development in science finally recognising the oral history of this region that has been handed down through hundreds of generations, giving it the scientific respect it has long deserved.

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That was how I felt after speaking with Maestro Umberto Clerici - the world renowned cellist with a vision to take the music of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra to the world stage.

As he tells us on this episode of Streets of Your Town, he defied the traditional route of how to become a conductor by being appointed the QSO’s Chief conductor designate, starting his three year term in January 2023.

Maestro Clerici’s approach as conductor is unique, not only rising from the orchestra to conductor in a highly unusual progression, but also as he describes, taking on his conductor role like an architect - giving the vision, but making the orchestra more independent. 

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Her Quandamooka and Meriam heritage underlie all of her songs, and she hopes that performing them brings some relief from the stresses of these post-covid times.

Rochelle is one of the First Nations artists taking centre stage at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in May for Clancestry—A Celebration of Country.

She tells us on Streets of Your Town about the significance of being part of a festival that showcases and celebrates First Nations artists, on land that for thousands of years has been a meeting and cultural place for Indigenous people of this land next to the Brisbane River, or Maiwar.

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It's a pivotal year for Anita, as its ten years since the original edition of her book "Amy I Black Enough For You" was released, and it's also the 60th anniversary of the festival itself.

In Brisbane, and many areas around south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, floods have inundated our homes, towns and cities It hit local communities hard, particularly artists who received little help from the government during the pandemic.

While Australian artists may have been largely abandoned during the pandemic, they are now gathering to raise money for those inundated by flood. 

Some may say that gathering to talk about art in the midst of a crisis is flippant. But Anita tells me on the podcast, many artists are gathering to raise money for those inundated by flood. And gathering together again she says is actually crucial for communities to recover. 

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Many of you will know plenty about the party that is Sydney Mardi Gras. What you may not know is that little Daylesford is on the map for its own pride festival, which this year celebrates its 25 year silver jubilee. The town comes alive with a Carnivale, champagne and Chill Out Street Parade, that transforms the central highlands of Victoria into queer country. 

Come sit with me at Larder, one of the town’s most well known coffee haunts, where I meet Mathew Charlesworth, who tells me how Daylesford is the gay capital of regional Victoria. This isn’t just a recent phenomenon, Daylesford has become well known for being a friendly space for LGBTQI communities from around the country, for decades.

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But her movements in the past year are less well known than her voice, which has directed people to their destination through GPS devices around the globe.

The pandemic meant she picked up from her home of 20 years in New York, and returned to Australia. She tells us on Streets of Your Town podcast, that she thought this would be a short sojourn.

But more than 18 months down the track, Karen and her family are still living in the Whitsundays, and Karen has just released her latest album “Ready for What I Came Here For”, which she started recording in New York before Covid-19 hit, and finished by recording remotely from her island home.

She tells us in this episode of Streets of Your Town how she feels she is now embarking on the most exciting chapter of her life as an independent artist in her 50's, embracing the positivity of her music and message.

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From the tip of Cape York to the borders of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, the Torres Strait—or now increasingly known as Zenadth Kes—covers an area of more 200 islands over 48 thousand square kilometres.

The Queensland Museum is bringing a touch of this beauty and complexity to Brisbane until the end of April 2022, giving city people a rare glimpse of these remote islands in the exhibition: Island Futures: What lies ahead for Zenadth Kes?

This episode of Streets of Your Town podcast takes you on a behind the scenes tour of that exhibition with co-curator, renowned broadcaster and proud Torres Strait Islander Rhianna Patrick.

She explains how hard it is to capture such a complex society of interwoven stories—the interconnectedness between people, place and knowledge which is the foundation of their identity.

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Delvene Cockatoo-Collins is a First Nations artist based here, like generations of her family before her. Her works are now sold around the world and were featured in her designs for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games medals, and her representation of the white whale Migaloo floating high above the audience in the opening ceremony. 

Today Delvene takes us on a walking tour of the island, which she does regularly for day trippers keen to get a First Nations perspective of the important artistic and cultural sites on this patch of paradise. We start our conversation for Streets of Your Town under the trees on the beach near Dunwich, or Goompi, where Delvene finds many of the materials she uses in her evolving arts practice.

Streets of your Town podcast would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians on whose land this story was gathered.
I acknowledge that for tens of thousand of years Our First Nations people have walked this country and shared stories on this great land down under, and I walk in their footsteps today.  
I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.

Read more about Delvene’s work, see the back catalogue of episodes and learn more about my work as The Wandering Journo at the Streets of Your Town website at https://soyt.substack.com

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The documentary was a six year labour of love, following two young Iranian asylum seekers navigating Australia’s immigration detention system, and the unexpected connections they make through music.

Musicians such as John Butler, Missy Higgins, Dan Sultan, Archie Roach, Baker Boy, Michael Franti, and Katie Noonan all took part.

Scattered People is a heartfelt story about connection and the power of music to give people a voice. All proceeds from screenings in cinemas around the country go to local asylum seeker projects in each local area.

It takes enormous commitment to learn a new skill like filmmaking. But to see that project through to screenings around Australia six years later, with rolling screening dates around Covid lockdowns, takes that commitment to another level.

The documentary made filmmakers out of everyday Australians John and Lizzi Swatland. Lizzi joins us on the podcast today, along with choir mistress Yani Mills. 

https://www.scatteredpeoplefilm.org

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"Dig In" hasn’t missed a single service to the people who eagerly await their homely meal, with hundreds of volunteers on the roster to cook every Saturday since it was started by four school mates on October 28th 2017.

Come with me on this episode of Streets of Your Town to meet this joyous group of Dig In volunteers who gather to cook every Saturday, in a humble commercial kitchen at inner city Brisbane high school St James College.

The wholesome meals they’re creating are destined for homeless people living rough in the city, who often yearn for but cannot access a freshly cooked home made meal.

Co-founder Lucas Ryals and brand ambassador and fellow lawyer Brad Marland are now looking to expand Dig In to the next stage of providing home made meals in specially designed vending machines accessible by the homeless with a special code, in towns far beyond the organisation’s Brisbane beginnings.

They’re also looking to expand Dig In’s service into high schools.

Lucas tells me in this podcast how it was a shock to them to learn how extensive a problem homelessness and poverty is, and how some students go without food for days. He hopes that the nourishing meals provided by Dig In can help remedy that, and improve school grades and attendance as well.

https://www.digin.org.au

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When properly prepared, Bamboo is nutrient-rich, and is in fact a staple of many Asian country’s diets.

Big Heart Bamboo founder, farmer and entrepreneur Becky Dart is forging a new industry on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast - growing, cooking and preserving bamboo to eat.

We walk around her bamboo farm on this episode of Streets of Your Town, and Becky explains how Bamboo is the world’s largest grass, one of the remaining large species from the megafauna era and one of the oldest plants in the world. When prepared properly it is also highly nutritious, and is revered as a delicacy in many Asian countries.

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A garden and gathering place nestled peacefully next to the Caboolture River at North Harbour just north of Brisbane, stands as tribute to the kanakas, or South Sea Islanders, many of whom were brought against their will from islands throughout the Pacific, to become labourer’s at the Moray Field plantation. 

Today their descendants, known as Australian South Sea Islanders, gather at this place to remember their ancestors, and pay tribute to the backbreaking work they did with little recompense, to establish Queensland’s agricultural prosperity. 

Daniel Awiyawi is one of them. Daniel hopes by speaking about this history on Streets of Your Town podcast, that more people will get a better understanding of blackbirding in this region, and how many islanders were deceived into coming on those ships to Australia.

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Part of my speech talks about my investigation into a pivotal case, which highlighted how Australia’s justice system fails intellectually disabled victims of sexual abuse. If this is triggering for you, you may not want to listen to this episode. But I include it because it’s an important issue in Australian law that still must be addressed. South Australia remains the only state to have changed its Evidence Act, to allow people with an intellectual disability to give evidence with assistance in court. Most cases are dropped, because people with cognitive disabilities are seen by the courts as unreliable witnesses.  

I highlight in this speech how great journalism can create great change.

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For many people the main thing they know about Rapa Nui is the hundreds of giant stone statues standing up to 20 metres high, looking out over the island.

And while these colossal statues known as Moai are incredible, there is so much more to this remote volcanic island, where the civilisation remained largely untouched by external influence for a thousand years.

Yoyo Tuki comes from a family of storytellers going back generations on the island. He tells me on this episode of Streets of Your Town, how he now divides his time between Australia and Rapa Nui, sharing his music and songwriting with a distinct Rapa Nui flavour not only on our shores, but in music festivals around the world.

Yoyo’s music blends the influence of his sculptor grandfather, whose name Mana Roa means Great Wisdom, with Spanish influences and some of the local Rapa Nui dialect, a Polynesian dialect similar to Tahitian, with some of his more modern compositions in English. 

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Mel Manley is the owner of The Imperial Hotel at Eumundi, which under her creative guidance has become the main meeting place in this bohemian hamlet in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. 

She is also a great believer in giving back, and so supported the establishment of an orphanage and charity in Nepal, in the hope of giving children there a safe place where they could receive education, good food and were safe from harm.

But years later, after gaining the trust of the children in their care, she discovered those children had living families, and were not in fact orphans. As Mel later realised, this was part of a global trend.

The number of orphanages across the developing world has grown dramatically in recent years. More than 80% of children in these orphanages are NOT orphans at all. Research shows that children are often taken from their families, trafficked into orphanages and used to generate funds, in a form of modern day slavery.

She is now the chief advocate for the charity Forget Me Not, which has reunited 700 orphans from Nepal, Uganda and India with their families, and also supported them for years to readjust to normal life.

Mel tells how she came back from the devastation of realising she had been so cruelly deceived, and how we all can learn to look for the gift in terrible events.”

https://fmn.org.au

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This podcast is all about recognising great Australian journos, wherever they may be around the world.  With the media in Australia under increasing attack and hard won freedoms under threat, there’s no better time to celebrate and highlight the work of the top journalists from down under.

He’s the kid from Brisbane’s tough outlying northern suburbs who went on to win two Walkley Awards for his powerful feature writing. Now Trent Dalton adds screenwriter and international bestselling author to his credits. His first novel Boy Swallows Universe recently cleaned up the Australian Book Industry Awards, where all four major prizes were won by the same author for the first time in its history. But as he explains in this episode of Streets of Your Town - The Journo Project, he credits all of his success to his grounding as a reporter, considering himself a journalist first, and author second.

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