Radical Australia

Tax ExpertLecturer

Colonial Truth TellerConnected to Myall Creek Ceremony Committee

*Retired Legal Aid Lawyer*Single Mother*Extraordinary Intangible Asset

Envoirmental ActivistVietnam Veteran

Joe talks with Shiralee Hood. Endigenous Activist and Comedian.

Linda Marks is an environmental activist and previous presenter with 3CR's popular longstanding program on nuclear, peace and energy issues - The Radioactive Show.  She's a retired secondary teacher and and life long unionist, now retired member of the Australian Education Union.

Lifelong trade unionist born in Melbourne in 1952. Australian Telecommunication Employees Association now called the Communications Workers Union. Ian, an extra-parliamentary activist for many years is making the most of his retirement.

3CR's royal family member, our very own Queen of Training, Leanne McLean, joins us on the show this week. We got Leanne on to talk to us about her health journey the last few years since she returned from the traditional cheese makers in Georgia, just before the pandemic. Leanne's life changed significantly at that point and she educates us on what her cancer journey has been like the last few years. Queen Leanne McLean. We love you and thank-you for gracing us in the studio this week.3CR friends in the courtyard this week (l-r): Joe Malignaggi, Kelly Whitworth, Leanne McLean and Joe Toscano

'Life and Politics is bumpy', so says Janet McCalman AC, a super smart lady born in 1948 who has been a lifelong Labor Party supporter and fabulous historian-writer here in Melbourne. Janet's books include 'Struggle Town' (1984), 'Journeyings', (1993) a story about class and education along the 67 tram, to 'Sex and Suffering'. Her family has French roots in North Africa and WWI created a big trauma line through it. Her parents met through the Communist Party. Janet came on, in part, to let us know about the Labor Academy, an independent group supporting traditional labor values. She says Labor people are terrific human beings. The Academy's latest little red book is '12 things you need to know about Labor'. It was published in January this year. It's highly accessible and includes chapters like 'Doing stuff together: collectivism and the social contract'. We look forward to taking a look at that and we thank Janet very much for joining us this week.laboracademyvic.au 

She's finding ways to keep culture and dreaming alive in an urban environment. She's nothing short of blak royalty. Joining us in the house this week is the one and only, Shiralee Hood: young sports star turned actress and storyteller. Wowee. Tune in for this first installment of the life of the young girl born in the year the Yarra exploded under Melbourne, who went on to be a little gun basketballer, to an amazing actress, course designer and all-round deadly legend. We can't wait to hear the rest of Shiralee's story when she returns real soon, just in time for her show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Check out the link for those details. Thank-you, Shiralee, for this first chat with us on Radical Australia!yirramboi.com.au/program/blakyard-one-night-stand-with-shiralee-hood-and-friends

Aprilia Seseray is a super smart auditor who volunteers at the West Papua office in Docklands. She was born among mountains, lakes and forest fruits and then at some stage she moved to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, for studies. It was a totally different culture, different language and different food from her homeland. Aprilia was bullied every single day throughout high school, but she succeeded despite the odds, and now has a Masters of Auditing from Monash. It was fascinating to hear her story. Thank-you for joining us this week, Aprilia.

Greer McGearey is the president of Seahorse Victoria, a safe social support group for trans people, and when she is not doing that she is the host of Conversations on Bent TV, Channel 31. Greer was born in Deniliquin. Her father was a dental technician. She was one of 5 boys and was an athlete, running all the distances. Greer was a public servant for over 17 years in the Department of Civil Aviation and raised 4 children. She started transitioning at 50 with the help of both Seahorse and the Monash Gender Clinic. We loved having Greer on the show this week. We hope you enjoy our conversation with her. Thank-you, Greer.https://ctvplus.org.au/series/bent-tv/https://seahorsevic.com.au/

Sirani McNeill is passionate about disability governance and is a current board member with Disability Justice Australia. She has formerly worked with Women With Disabilities Victoria and the Disabilities Resources Centre. Sirani says that disability organisations need to do a better job of hiring disability peers to properly shape their governance and policies. Going back in time, Sirani started out her life adopted from Thailand at a very young age by her parents who were French and Kiwi. She has lived in Paris and New Zealand. In her life post-high school, Sirani has encountered many instances of bro culture in the tech industry and corporate environment as she has moved from internship to internship and a lot of job hopping, a common experience as a person with a disability. Sirani is deaf and on the autism spectrum. She loves her Cat, Bella, and is really into cyber security. In 2024 she contributed to 3CR's International Day of People With Disability (Employment Difficulties for Disabled People). We wish Sirani well in all her endeavours and thank her for joining us on the show this week.3cr.org.au/disabilityday2024Disability Justice Australia - dja.org.auWomen with Disabilities Victoria - wdv.org.auDisability Resources Centre - drc.org.auSirani and Joe chatting in Studio One at 3CR.Sirani at 3CR.

Madison Moffat is our latest guest in the squeaky chair and we are very pleased to have her. Madison is a trans activist with Trans Justice Alliance Victoria and has an open letter with three very important demands for Victoria Police. They converge around common police policies and practises. Madison was born in Sydney to a teen Mum and lived in a public housing tower before the family moved to Narrabri. She had a hard time at school, being neuro a-typical, but not really knowing anything about that back then. All she knew was that she was frustrated with the school system as it was. Madison embarked on her own independent life at the age of 16, having a commercial cookery apprencticeship, before moving into the corporate world for many years where she thrived as 'the guru'. There is much to her story there. Madison eventually had a serious breakdown, a crisis of self, if you will. She has eventually found a happier place inside and in the world these days, transitioning during COVID-19, and now flourishing as a trans activist and 3CR broadcaster on Queering the Air. Madison is smart and funny and we really enjoyed talking to her. Thanks, Madison. Keep up the important work you are doing and for inspiring us all!Queering the Air, Sundays 3pm to 4pm, 3cr.org.au/queeringtheairfacebook.com/groups/thetranscreatorfacebook.com/transsistersunited

Keiran Stewart-Assheton is our guest this week and he is the founder of the Black People's Union, a union that set out to represent First Nations tour guides, dancers and ceremonial performers, among others, filling the gaps of existing trade unions. It has grown into something even greater. Keiran's family are Yuin nation, around Nowra (NSW), but he has lived all over, starting out in Adelaide and then quite a bit of time in the ACT. Keiran was born in 1992, played 'all the sports' growing up, and was very successful academically. It was poignant to hear his reflections on the Left here in Naarm and you can catch more of Keiran on his show Yillam, Wednesdays 12pm to 1pm, here on 3CR. If you are in town this Sunday, Keiran encourages you to get down to Camp Sovereignty at 5am for a dawn service to honour those buried there. 3CR will have live coverage of the day, so tune in. We thank Keiran for joining us this week and we wish him well in all the areas of his life. Thank-you, Keiran.blackpeoplesunion.orgYillamin - Wednesdays 12pm to 1pm on 3CRKieran with Uncle Robbie Thorpe in the 3CR courtyard, 2024.

John Tait has just come back from a voyage to New Zealand's sub-Antartic Islands and his knees are paying for it! When not adventuring, John works with James and Em on The Sporting Record, addressing issues of equality and justice through the prism of sport. The issues that arise are seemingly endless. John and friends continue a long tradition of sport shows here on 3CR and you can catch them for the full hour on Thursdays at 3:30pm. Going back a bit, John started life in Balwyn where his parents were neighbours, but progressed to Essendon and played on the highway when it was being built. He went on a long spiritual journey for many years, delving into the Franciscans and Liberation Theology, among other creeds. He gained a theology degree. He held many positions of work within the broad Catholic Church. At some stage, he left that life behind and now dwells in the Church of Kindness. When not busy with radio, John is a second-hand CD seller with a shop in Essendon. You wouldn't be surprised to learn that Essendon is his AFL team as well. Nobody is perfect, but we are very happy to have John at 3CR as he loves radio and we love him. Thank-you for chatting with us this week, John, and we hope your knees recover for your next adventure!The Sporting Record - Thursdays 3:30pm to 4:30pm - 3cr.org.au/thesportingrecord

Jenny Hickinbotham comes from a NAME in the wine industry in Australia, with her father bringing Wolf Blass into the country and seeing the move from sherry drinking to other refreshments like Pineapple Pearl. Her father was what they call a 'plonker'. Jenny grew up in the Barossa Valley and was an outgoing, bossy kid, from all accounts, but she doesn't have that many memories from that time. Jenny started hearing voices in her head from the age of about 27, and years later, with the right support, she was able to trace this back to the trauma she experienced as a young girl on her way home from school. Jenny has done many things in her life, from Teacher's College here and in Europe (hello Earl's Court!), viticulture, creative writing and librarian certification. At some stage, she was also introduced to the world of peer advocacy and met many people like herself. She learnt how to tell her story and listen to others. Jenny has a little red book of stories, song and imagery from her trip by car with her two doggies from Melbourne to Darwin, titled East to West with Fight, Flight, Freeze, and we get to hear a couple of her tracks. We had a lot of laughs with Jenny and she was a fabulous guest. We thank her for sharing some of her story with us this week.jennyhickinbotham.infoJeJenny and Joe in the 3CR courtyard.

In the last of our Summer Specials, we bring you born revolutionary, Nick Southall. He never did stand a chance, born as he was to revolutionary, communist parents in Sheffield, England, where he spent his childhood going to meetings and marches and letterboxing the atrocities of the Vietnam War. Nick says they were 'strange but exciting times'. It was 'politics all the time'. After moving to Wollongong when he was 11, in high school he wanted to bring the school system down and he rebelled, he was a trouble maker. Later on he was a communist party organiser and was with the Out of Workers Union Wollongong as a Full Time Unemployed Activist. Right On, Nick! He also had a life-changing trip to the USSR just before its collapse which makes for an interesting listen and leads us to share news of Nick's first publication by name of 'Disaster Communism and Anarchy in the streets'. It's the little blue book that any good radical activist should have. Thanks very much for joining us on the blower from Wollongong, Nick, and keep up the bloody revolting work!kemblabooks.comrevoltsnow.wordpress.comNick as a young babe on the Right to Work march from Wollongong to Sydney, 1982. Go Nick!Later, in the divvie photo shoot and under arrest at the Port Kembla Copper community picket, 2000.Recently, at community picket of Bissaloy Street, Wollongong, 2024. Nick loves a good picket.

We are delighted to be joined by Erwin Bleskadit this week, a veteran of the Free West Papua movement and OG supporter of the West Papua office here in Docklands ever since it opened its doors in 2014. Erwin was born in Sorong, West Papua, and grew up fishing and using his machete in the jungle. All the kids had machetes. His parents grew corn and cassava. After high school, Erwin moved to the capital and joined the independence struggle, attending protests and walks denouncing trans-migration in his homeland. He and his comrades built a big group. In 2003 he came here as a legal student and stayed with the Sisters of Mercy in Ballarat. He studied English and eventually came to Melbourne. He would really like to become a teacher's aide. Erwin has been singing and dancing for years to promote his culture. He is a current member of the newly-formed West Papuan Community Choir. They are something else. The choir is collecting songs from all the land's tribes and are busy performing at events and fundraisers. You can catch Erwin and friends on the Voice of West Papua, every Tuesday at 6 to 7pm, right here on 3CR. Where else? Thank-you for your contribution to educating us all on the beauty and the struggle of West Papua, Erwin. Thank-you for joining us on the show. Good luck fulfilling your dream of becoming a teacher's aide. We are right behind you.Voice of West Papua - Tuesdays 6 to 7pm on 3CR. 

Ann Stanley currently has two 3CR programs on the go and they both touch on important areas of her life story. Ann spent the first 12 years of her life in Glasgow. She was the eldest child and learnt to be a peacemaker early on due to her father's alcoholism. The family then moved all the way down under to Parramatta, perhaps in search of the geographical cure. Soon after, it was off to Franga and she continued to develop her love of English, eventually enrolling at Monash University to study Arts (politics). She has always been interested in what's going on in the world and has always enjoyed radio, being a subscriber to 3CR in the 80's. Ann's early family situation now sees her as a sympathetic and informed broadcaster on Living Free where she can speak to other family members affected by alcoholism. Her other love is permaculture and food localisation. She gets into this on her Sunday show, Local Food Connections. It was lovely meeting Ann and learning about some of her life story. Make sure to catch her shows sometime and here are the details:Living Free I Thursday I 1 to 2pm I 3cr.org.au/livingfreeLocal Food Connections I Sunday I 10 to 10:30am I 3cr.org.au/localfoodconnectionsThanks, Ann!Ann is the jolly one next to Santa in civvies in the 3CR courtyard. Merry Xmas to all our listeners!

This week's guest, Rob Wellington, was a total ring-in, but he ended up being a bit of Australian music royalty, so that was nice. Rob directed videos of some of Australian music's biggest hits of the 80s, from bands like The Models, to Pseudo Echo and John Farnham. He also had his own bands on the go in the punk style, from The Fiction to the International Exiles. A busy, productive person. Rob grew up building sailboats and trampoulines with his engineer father and put on a play called 'The Dean Martian Show' in primary school when he was 10 years old. An early sign of things to come. These days Rob loves K-Mart and plays in The Peptides and 90 BPM. He's a St Kilda fella through and through, leading punters on the 'St Kilda Underground Music Walking Tour' with Fed Negroe, who we hope will be joining us in the new year if he doesn't stand us up again. Thanks for joining us for this week's chat, Rob! It was great learning about your contribution to the Australian music scene. Keep up the great work.Check out Models' 'Big On Love' video on YouTubefacebook.com/PeptidesPunkfacebook.com/NinetyBPMfacebook.com/theeFictIon

We heard about Sean Bedlam through his clever and humorous Instagram account, but we didn't realise he is a fully-fledged comedian, so that explains a lot. Sean reckons he has been masking his autism his whole life, but he only got diagnosed a couple of years ago. It's helped explain himself to himself a lot. Sean has done everything from photo lab work, to darkrooms, metal work to cancer. He also documents the occasional lefty protest. His latest comedic adventure is titled 'I'm autistic, plus I also had cancer'. Something like that. Check out Sean's Insta for better details at @seanbedlam. He's been documenting the Free Palestine Sunday rallies every single week for over a year, just like our beloved 3CR. He's one of the good ones. Thanks so much for joining us, Sean! Keep up the interesting and irreverent stories from the dark side of the city.Sean goofing it with a Mafalda (3CR) papier mache doll in the 3CR hallway. Smoochies!

Alexander Brown joins us on the blower from Wollongong this week. He got his radical history education and began his political activities in the 90's, around the time of Howard's election. Who hasn't heard that before! Alexander has had a strong connection with Japan and its radical activists in his life, ever since he went to high school there for a year. He taught English in Tokyo a little while ago and got to understand the country's radical groups and movement a bit better. His PhD was about radical politics in Tokyo. This was around the time of the Fukushima tragedy. Alexander loves the 'Gong through and through, but he started out life in Albury as a bookworm, a love that has been a great joy in his life. He has a little publishing company called Kembla Books and it was a pleasure speaking with him this week. Keep up your great community spirit, Alexander!alexanderbrown.online I kemblabooks.comAnti-nuclear demonstration in Tokyo, April Fools Day, 2012Alexander with anti-nuclear activists in Tokyo preparing a solidarity banner to send to Australia, 2012Defence Industry Conference speakout, Wollongong, April 2023

Tahlia and Felix join us this week from CUDL: the Community Union Defence League. Since 2019 they have been handing out home-cooked meals to anyone who needs one on the steps of the State Library, every single Sunday from 3pm to 6pm. Call them on 0480 039 002 if you would like to help out or find out more. CUDL began life in Adelaide as support to a CFMEU worker, with the community raising thousands of dollars to pay most of their fine. They now have branches in a few states and areas around Australia and support workers' strikes and pickets. CUDL provides programs of solidarity and support within the capitalist system. They would also like to help other groups set themselves up for progressive activities. Tahlia and Felix were great guests and we had fun chatting with them. As young activists, they also shared with us what they have learned about homelessness in Melbourne on Sunday afternoons during their meal times. Keep up the great work, Tahlia and Felix, and look after yourselves and each other.Follow CUDL on Instagram to find out more: @cudlmelbourne or cudl.org.auTahlia (l) and Felix (r) in Studio One at 3CR.Tahlia and Felix post-chat outside 3CR.Tahlia and Felix back in Studio One at 3CR. 

Em Collard is a super talented person who has already won two scholarships in their life to prestigious learning institutions. They have excelled in both sports and music, landing presently at Fitzroy Legal Service doing the important Night Service coordination while studying for their Juris Doctor. That's a law degree when you already have a degree - Em already has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music which they started attending when they were just 17 years old. Em played trumpet there and reckons there was a bit of sexism around, just like they encountered when they were a youth cricket gun. Em hails from Newcastle and was born in 1996. They co-produce The Sporting Record on 3CR, covering sports issues the hosts would generally like to see in the world. Well, they are doing it themselves and winning sports and non-sports fans alike with the issues they discuss, including justice issues in the game. The show is weekly and broadcasts on Thursdays at 3:30pm for the full hour. It's a great effort producing a weekly show of fresh news and we congratulate the team on their second year of broadcasting on 3CR. Em is non-binary as well and they explain what that means for them. All in all, they are a stand-up decent person and a great ornament to the 3CR Christmas tree. Thanks so much for joining us this week, Em. Keep up the great work!www.3cr.org.au/thesportingrecord www.fls.org.au/how-we-can-helpEm stands outside 3CR in front of this year's Radiothon poster: Sound on for Solidarity.

What a treat to have pioneering mathematics and statistics whizz, Alison Harcourt, join us on the show this week with her son, Pierre. Alison is 95 years old this year and only recently retired from lecturing and tutoring, a day before her 90th birthday. She really is an Australian treasure. Alison's life started in Colac where her father was a doctor. She remembers the declaration of World War II on a sunny, Sunday morning. She spent some time at Colac High School and boarding school, which was pretty isolating, before beginning her academic life at the University of Melbourne. Then it was off to the London School of Economics where she was pretty much head-hunted to return home to partner with Professor Ron Henderson on Australia's first statistical study of poverty in Australia, out of which came the Henderson Poverty Line, a standard used by researchers for years to come. Alison never had a problem with mathematics, never any difficulty. Apparently, it runs in the family on the female side. Her life advice is to 'keep going, keep active' and 'keep in touch with others, as much as you can'. We hope you enjoy Alison's story and we thank her and Pierre for joining us on the show this week.Alison's t-shirt reads 'Never underestimate an old woman with a mathematics degree'. Choice.l to r: Joe Toscano, Alison, and son, Pierre, in the 3CR courtyard.https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/alison-harcourt-aohttps://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/research/labour/henderson-poverty-line  

David Boarder Giles was born in Melbourne in the year of Reagan's election (1980), but his mother soon whisked him away to Disneyland and conservative California when he was 10. Boo. It took him a while to finally make his way back home. David witnessed many interesting cultural curios during his teenage years in the States, which probably informed his desire to eventually study anthropology and write his PhD about Food Not Bombs when he was an organiser in Seattle. The culmination of these efforts has resulted in a book titled 'A Mass Conspiracy to Feed People'. It features David with his arse hanging out of a dumpster as he dives for a still-good piece of cake. We love it. David has been a bit of a punk and musician, playing in ska bands and the like. He says that Americans have to decide early on how they are going to respond to the ever-present poverty in their country - ignore, blame or get active. David knows quite a bit about homelessness in America, particularly Seattle, and how the city has responded to the crisis over the years. Today he teaches at Deakin University on systems theory. That's the way all our different systems intermix and collide, from environmental, economical, cultural etc. It sounds pretty all-encompassing. David's scholar and writer of choice is David Graebar (RIP). Check out his writings, too. Thanks for joining us, David. Keep up the great work!   David and his pink scarf outside 3CR.

Jack Brady has done nearly everything there is to do in life, or so we think. From joining the Air Force at 17, to becoming a trainee dive master, an anthropologist and an English teacher in China. Let's throw in a comedian for good measure. Jack was born in Upper Ferntree Gully in 1970, but soon after their parents upped sticks and moved all the way north to Tewantin in Queensland, on the doorstep of Noosa. After high school, Jack worked at Coles and saw heaps of British pop stars do their shopping there. At one stage of their life, they experienced 'The Bends' and suffered an acquired brain injury, taking many years to recover, some of it ongoing. Jack is a non-binary comedian with Aspergers whose PhD is titled 'You Can't Laugh at That'. However, they would very much like you to laugh at their show 'For Rent: Hot Comedy for a Rent Freeze'. It's on at Theory Bar on October 30. Check it out. Jack would also like to mention another group they hang out in - the Centre for Australian Comedic Action. They are into using comedy for social change, social justice, comedy that changes the world. Check them out as well. Thanks for joining us, Jack, and keep up with all the great offerings you make to our world.www.eventbrite.com.au/e/for-rent-tickets-1001891242677www.caca.au

What a thrill to have the very talented Tia Kasambalis join us on the show this week. If you haven't heard of Tia, you have probably seen his artwork around the streets of Melbourne, in a newspaper, or maybe even on the telly sometime over the last few years. Tia is one of those talented artist-activists that make up the Workers Art Collective. Check it out. In the beginning, Tia was born in '91 Sydney. His family eventually moved down to Melbourne, Mt. Waverley, where he went to school and played state rugby for the 'church league'. Eventually, Tia got into tagging big time, which led to design at TAFE and RMIT. Tia's art practise focusses on union, refugee and migrant stories and portraiture. He is currently painting journalist Anthony Loewenstein for the Archibald next year. Can't wait to see that one! Tia was a happy guest and we really enjoyed chatting with him. He is a fabulous artist and we encourage you to follow his work. Thanks so much for being with us, Tia. Keep it up!@tia_kasswww.workersartcollective.comwww.sbs.com.au/news/article/faces-of-the-frontline-how-these-vulnerable-workers-survived-coronavirus-in-australia/c88bys363

What a gun - Rosie Heselev. At 30, she is the founder of Australia's first national prison newspaper, About Time. The paper is intended to be a narrative shift about prison and prisoners, with the hope of it eventually being completely produced by peers. It is off to a great start, having just released its second edition. Rosie got to learn quite a bit about prison and the conditions therein during COVID, mainly, when she worked on the Prison Advocacy Program at Fitzroy Legal Service. She also learnt a lot from her clients as a duty lawyer at the Neighbourhood Justice Centre. Rosie brings Main Character Energy and a joyous spirit with her and it was fascinating to learn about her family heritage and the formative years of her life. We hope you enjoy Rosie's story and that you reach out to the newspaper to grab copies and maybe help out. Keep up your fantastic work, Rosie.www.abouttime.org.au I @about.time.media

What a delight to have the lovely Sonia Randhawa on the show this week. Sonia is the current producer-presenter of 3CR's Wednesday Breakfast, but she has been around community radio a lot longer, starting up a pirate station in Malaysia some years back when she lived there with her Punjabi father and English mother who met in Liverpool in the 60s. Sonia spent her childhood between Malaysia and England, attending boarding school where activities included flying planes and eventually making her way to Oxford to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Sonia went on to working as a journalist for The Sun in Malaysia and completing a doctorate about the representation of women in Malay's newspapers. These days, Sonia works for The Sortition Collective who organise citizen's assemblies for whoever needs them. She was a warm and lovely guest and much smarter than us, we are sure. Thank-you, Sonia!www.sortitionfoundation.org

Chris Phillips is a serious person who is big on personal pledges. He grew up a strong Catholic in Box Hill, but didn't take 'the pledge'. He did it tough at tech school in Abbotsford before moving into a carpentry apprecticeship at 16. At some stage, Chris became a committed union organiser for the Building Workers Industrial Union, tackling poor working conditions, keeping the bosses honest and working hard on the shorter hours campaign. He was married on his 23rd birthday. Later on, during one of his many exciting travel trips, Chris was shot on a highway in New Orleans during the acclaimed Jazz Fest. It's a cracker story and we will let him tell it himself. In 2024, Chris works as a volunteer in palliative care, just because he can. A man of his word is Chris and we thank him so gratefully for being our guest this week. Thanks for the important changes you helped usher in for working people in Australia, Chris! Keep up the staunch attitude.

Daryl McDonald is a man who will live to 100, at least, but he grew up dodging magpies in Geelong. Now he is the co-presenter of Breadline, a program of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union, broadcasting on Mondays at 6pm, here on 3CR. Daryl works on the advice line at the AUWU, letting people know about their rights as Social Security beneficiaries and generally working against the government. He says it is rewarding work. Daryl has had many different jobs in his life, from welding, truck driving, to the meatworks in Donald. Along the way he learnt to drum and eventually played percussion in orchestras and theatre companies when the band wasn't practising in his bedsit in Ascot Vale, a great location to watch the fireworks over the Melbourne Show. Listen in to the great work of the Breadline team here on 3CR and let people know about the AUWU. Thanks for joining us, Darly, and keep up the great work!Breadline - Mondays - 6pm to 6:30pm - 3CR - 3cr.org.au/breadline

Folks may know this week's guest, Justin DeLeeuw, via his gold toilets which have been spotted around Preston and most consistently on Google Maps at 'Modern Art - Not a Fan', a rather interesting parcel of grass on a median strip on St Georges Road. Justin and other assorted activists, including members of the Renters and Housing Union (RAHU), have all this week slept out in gold tents at the site as part of the Housing Crisis Survival Expo - a Homelessness Week event raising awareness and encouraging conversations about creative solutions to the crisis, including squatting and dumpster diving. They have been having good chats with students across the road at the Polytechnic and other assorted locals have stopped by with food and conversation. Justin was born in '71 Adelaide and has a lived experience of homelessness. He is a pointillist tattooist, a portrait painter and recycle auditor. He knows about all the crap people put in the wrong bin! Justin got into the rave scene in Lismore area as an art installator and is planning an entry to the next Birdman Rally. Maybe a flying house? We love Justin's style and it was great having him on the show this week. Keep up the great work, Justin!@xak_and_baba 

Why is it so difficult to conduct research on the West Papuan Noken? How does an item of Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO) relate to nationalism? Who exactly owns cultural heritage? These are the questions our guest this week is grappling with in his thesis at the University of Melbourne and his name is Louis Liedel. Louis is interested in cultural heritage when he is not playing futsal with his mates. Louis is looking at the Noken: a multi-functional, knotted bag, usually made of bark and dyed, that is used to store goods, carry goods, a 'walking house' if you will. It was listed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2012. Listeners are invited to meet Louis and celebrate 10 years of the West Papua Office in Docklands this Sunday August 4th at 838 Collins St, Docklands. Entry via the rear. Find out about the West Papua Liberation Movement and meet some great people doing powerful things. Lunch at 1pm, speakers at 2pm, the regular auction at 3pm, finishing off with the Vanuatu Choir and West Papuan Community Choir. Food, music, education and good times. Louis will be there talking about Noken diplomacy. It's quite fascinating and he is a great communicator. Get on down. Thanks, Louis, for joining us on the show this week. This is our second episode celebrating 10 years of the West Papua Office here in Melbourne - the only office in the world housing the members of the West Papuan transitional government. Have a listen to last week's episode to hear from Foreign Affairs Minster, Jacob Rumbiak. Merdeka!

This week we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the West Papua Office in Docklands - the only office in the world housing members of the West Papuan transitional government. There you will find its Foreign Affairs minister, Jacob Rumbiak, who has been in the struggle for his land's liberation since he was a young boy and who spent 10 years in prison for his threat to colonial Indonesia as an academic. Jacob came to Australia in 1999. There in the office you will also find Louise Byrne: general dogsbody and veteran of the Free West Timor movement. Louise says that one of the biggest advocacy purposes of the office is to encourage Australia to support the United Nations to conduct a fact-finding mission to West Papua. Close to 100 sovereign nations have so far pledged support for this effort. The West Papuan freedom movement claims colonial Indonesia carries out cultural genocide against its people and exploits its rich resources (have you ever heard of Grasberg mine?..). Indonesia claims West Papua to be its own, from land, to sea and sky. With the support of the West Papua Rent Collective, convened by our very own Joe Toscano, the West Papuan community here in Melbourne is able to conduct its work, hold events and educate us on its liberation movement. They work extremely hard. Jacob claims the office has given the movement a clearer direction, has made it real and given them Big Hope. We are so pleased to support the office and encourage you to attend its Open Day on Sunday August 4th, 838 Collins Street, Docklands. Entry via rear of the building. 1pm lunch kickoff. It is important we educate ourselves on the history of our close neighbour and we are honoured to welcome Jacob and Louise to the show this week. Merdeka!www.greenleft.org.au/content/mine-centre-west-papuas-colonisation(l to r): Convenor of the West Papua Rent Collective, Joe Toscano, with Lousie Byrne and Jacob Rumbiak from the West Papua Office.Louise sports a brooch of the Raggiana - the most popular Bird Of Paradise in West Papua. The Raggiana used to be trafficked along the Silk Road to Persia and England where ladies at the races sported the feathers in their hats.

Mars on Earth. That's where this week's guest has been and she joins us to talk all about it. Sally ventured to Antartica this year, prompted by her deep concern for sea-level rise, having lived her whole life by the water. She got to see a lot of cold, blue water, icebergs, penguins and seals on her epic voyage across the Roaring Forties with 350 other intrepid travellers and scientists down to an icy rock twice the size of Australia. We learn about her packing kit, the Zodiac, the ship and the view out the window. What about that view! Thank-you so much for joining us to share your amazing journey, Sally, and keep up your care for our wonderous planet.Sally and Joe in the 3CR courtyard.

We sure wish Duff would write a book about his stay in an abandoned resort behind Cape Tribulation and his cosying-up with a cassowary. We might have to settle for his sci-fi, end of the earth epic about 4 blokes who return from the forest to find they are the last humans alive. In Warrnambool. Those old enough may know Duff as the fella who pie-faced himself then kissed Premier Stephen Bracks at the opening of the 2001 International Comedy Festival. It was Duff's humurous attempt to get back at the Premier for basically encouraging Victoria Police to bludgeon the crowd at the World Economic Forum protests / S11 a little while earlier. Greg paid a high price for his stunt, with it costing him comedy gigs and a history re-write. Greg hit his straps as an activist at the Jabiluka protests. He grew up on a sheep farm in Warrnambool with a very humorous brother, he's been a lab rat, he writes books, he squats around the place and says the mission in life is to achieve peace within yourself. He is currently gearing up for some action for Homelessness Week. It was great to have him on. He's a good egg. Thanks, Duff!Duff and friend, Jeanie, in the 3CR courtyard. They were both Barak Beacon activists.

Serial pest, Leon Zembekis, joins us on the show this week. He is our newly-appointed elder guest wrangler and we are so happy to welcome him to the Radical Australia team. Leon has always respected his elders and the wisdom they impart. He has worked for the Greens for a long time and grew up with a staunch Greek mum who knew how to keep the council officers at bay when they came knocking on their door about 'the animals'... Growing up in Kew in the 70s, he knew all the scrubby tracks down to the Yarra. He loves to collect hard rubbish and share pre-loved items with those who need it. Leon is fun company and we are looking forward to all the great elder guests he will bring through the door of 3CR. Welcome, Leon!

What a treat to have Gus Nossal on the show this week. He joined us on the phone from his home at the last minute. What a trooper. For the uninitiated, Gus is an Australian legend who has been bestowed with many titles and was on the telly all the time back in the day as scientific public intellectual. Gus says that public communication is vital. He was born and raised in Vienna during the 1930s before his family came to Australia on a long boat voyage which was very exciting for young Gus. He always wanted to be a doctor and studied medicine, landing in theoretical virology. His PhD supervisor was Frank Macfarlane Burnet, then he went off to Stanford during a very exciting time in medical science. Gus says he spent hours and hours a day at the microscope. In 1962 he returned to Australia and became the Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Gus' big interest was in immunological tolerance and its impacts on the fields of transplants and auto-immune diseases. We'll leave the rest of the story to Gus who recently celebrated his 93rd birthday. Thank-you very much for the chat, Gus, and for all you have done for global health.  

Don Sun is a proud Sunshine boy from the 50s and has been around the community radio scene for decades. He penned the Admin Watch column in Farrago, University of Melbourne's student magazine, back in the day when he studied political philosophy and saw student unionism up close. He roadied for Lou Richards at Channel 7 and turned the quarter lights on at Waverley when the TV broadcasts resumed after the ads. Don's first encounter with 3CR was back in '77. He had a show called Local and Live with friend Marion Cincotta, but prior to that he had a show going on PBS called Lunchtime Legends. Don was obviously into celebrating local music and had a venue called 1C1. He has had a guerilla garden in Carlton since 1988 and was a numeracy, literacy and maths teacher at TAFE. He shared some advice about playing the lotto. Thank-you for bringing the lemons, Don, and for joining us on the show this week.

What are they like - these two muggins. These oafs. These silly sausages. Diggaling deep, shovelling the cash, doing what they can for their beloved 3CR. A hold-tight-to-your-seats thrill ride as these two oompalompas freestyle for your heartfelt pledge to keep the door open to anyone and everyone who has ever done anything good for the wider world. For those that take a political stand for justice, for peace, for care of our natural world. June is a special time to show your love and appreciation of 3CR. Staunchly grassroots, indepenent and radical for 47 years. Donate what you can now as every dollar makes a difference. Make a point of supporting 3CR. Follow the prompts at 3cr.org.au/donate or call the station and speak to our Radiothon angels on 03) 9419 8377. Thanks for your staunch support. 

Sue Bolton is almost peerless when it comes to having clear working memory and deep knowledge of Australian politics the last 40 years. She can tell you the details of so many leftist campaigns, what the issues were that were being caused by government and business, and key decisions that were made. Her knowledge is really quite astounding. We return to Sue this week for our second chat. We take up her story when she first came to Melbourne and was active with the Democratic Socialist Party and publication Green Left Weekly. This was in the early-90s during the school occupations to stop closures, nuclear testing in the Pacific, native forest logging, the election of the Howard government and the election of Pauline Hanson. This period began a certain era of refugee politics and policy in the country. Sue was a national trade union organiser for a few years beginning in 2003 and was the lead arrestee in the Max Brenner case. She was elected to Merri-Bek council in 2012 and bases all her work listening to her local community. Sue has been re-elected twice. Her current big campaign is getting accessible tram stops on Sydney Road. We love Sue and think she is a gem. She deserves an honour for all her efforts for working class communities over many, many years. Thank-you so much for joining us once again, Sue.https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/beat-facebook-ban-green-left

Rowland G Schultz entertains us muchly this week with his poetry and one of his flamenco guitar tracks. He called in on the phone from Sydney and entertained us with many poems. Rowland acquired a brain inury through a transport accident some years ago and this precipitated a very difficult period of his life. We talk about what it is like to lose everything, to be affected by a traumatic injury, and to lose someone you love. Since his accident, Rowland's poetry talent has emerged and we begin the show with Disabled or PTSstabled. He says he was on fire with that one. Rowland was a very successful guitarist in Melbourne for many years, playing flamenco guitar and in bands such as cover band The Gypsy Crims and his solo venture, Vikingo de Jerez. He frequented venues such as Open Studio. Rowland is now thinking of dedicating some time to the oud. He was born in '79 in Sydney and went to Newtown Performing Arts High School where all the other cool kids were. Rowland was a fab guest and we thank him greatly for joining us and sharing some of his life's moments with us. Thank-you, Rowland.Please be advised this conversation includes some heavy themes like loss and challenges of mental ill-health that may not be suitable for some listeners. https://youtube.com/@rowland-schultz-vikingodejerez?si=dzvk9w0gAdLztEMOhttps://youtube.com/@vikingodejerez?si=SJYGUfeBby9oy5Dahttps://youtube.com/@rowlandgschultz390?si=fphnqvb49-5bQlEjhttps://youtube.com/@rowlandgschultz123?si=5MQQl7n9nWpdH65ohttps://youtube.com/@rowlandgschultz-js8yj?si=PlCWmsA2RfYzRTQU

These days, this week's guest, Ron Guy, is an artist activist for the cause of Western Sahara, the last colony of Africa. Earlier, he supported the cause of East Timor before it gained independence. Ron has been a union delegate for the AWU and was the OH&S officer at Dow Chemicals. He has had a long interest in the trade union movement, starting when he had to endure living with plenty of mice in property he lived in when he was a young fruit picker. Ron was born in Bacchus Marsh in '57 and was a miracle baby. He had an interest in painting from an early age. His father was a Rat of Tobruk. Ron was a lovely guest and we thank him so much for joining us this week. awsa.org.au

Arborist and life-long rock star. That's this week's guest, Andrew Matters, calling in from Adelaide. Andrew has been shaping, saving, planting and assessing trees for over 20 years. He loves planning and planting gardens and is currently crushing on the Crepe Myrtle tree. He spent his young adulthood in Sydney with a panel van and a band - Neptune Lolly Shoppe. The spectre of illness hung over his life for a long time, as Andrew was really ill when he was young. We talk about his time in and out of hospitals and the illness he survived. We had a really great time talking with Andrew and we thank him for sharing some of his life with us. Thanks, Andrew. Keep up your great work.@tree_matters@WilliamStreetStrikers@neptunelollyshoppe back in the day.. 

Jeannie Erceg was one of 5 residents who resisted the demolition of their homes on the Barack Beacon public housing estate in Port Melbourne just a little while ago and says 'They can't make me disappear. I can say what I want'. Jeannie says the estate had a 'friendly feeling' and it was a 'wonderful community'. Like every resident on the estate, Jeannie found out her home was due to be demolished just 2 weeks prior to Christmas by a knock at the door by a couple of government representatives. There was no community consultation whatsoever about the most recent estate to come under the instrument that is the Big Build. Jeannie makes it quite apparent that the public has been shortchanged in the plans for the new dwellings, with thousands of people waiting ever longer on the public housing list.Jeannie grew up in Caufield and is a '71 baby. She is the mother to 7 children. When young, she was enthusiastic about being a choirgirl and went on to get married in the Carnegie church. Prior to her removal from Barack Beacon, Jeannie resided at the public housing estate on Bang Street in Prahran for 24 years. Her firsthand accounts of the treatment of public housing estates and residents by the government is illuminating. We thank Jeannie for joining us this week. https://www.homes.vic.gov.au/barak-beacon-port-melbournehttps://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/they-ll-have-to-carry-me-out-inside-the-public-housing-estate-set-for-demolition-20230316-p5csoj.htmlhttps://office.org.au/project/retain-repair-reinvest-barak-beacon-estate/

Greg returns on the blower from Queensland to the Radical Australia studio talking about his new research on West Papua and its shady colonial history. Definitely one for the enthusiasts and for anyone wanting to enlighten themselves about colonial wars on the doorstep of our nearest neighbour. Freedom for West Papua.

I want to lead the way in having difficult conversations says this week's guest, Ruth Clare. Ruth is perhaps best known either for her acting job in a genital herpes commercial or for her memoir about growing up with her returned serviceman father. One lighthearted and one serious fact about Ruth and we straddle both ends in our conversation with her this week. Ruth is a Rocky girl and went to Rockhampton High which was 'a bit rough' but at which she was 'a total nerd' who loved performing. She eventually figured out that she could follow her dreams as a career and forayed into acting after her move to Melbourne. Ruth's memoir, ENEMY, won the final Asher Award in 2017 and she is now a motivational speaker, engaging highschool students in conversations she wished she had at their age. Ruth is a mother to two children and was born in '74. She has a great smile and a personality to match. Thank-you, Ruth, for joining us on the show this week.Cover of Ruth's book, ENEMY.A young Ruth.

Pauline Klemm is the woman behind the social media juggernaut, The Baba Desi Story, on Facebook, where she has taken some stunning pictures of Belgrave wizard, Baba Desi. She has been taking pictures for the last 6 years after coming to care for her brother's camera when it came into her possession. It was a sliding door moment and Pauline learnt there is another life in front of the camera. It has changed her life. The Baba Desi Story has opened up the Hills community to her. Pauline is still a nurse, however, working in theatre in anaesthetics recovery. She grew up in North Balwyn, down the creek looking for tadpoles. Pauline is a '64 baby. Her photos are gorgeous and we thank Pauline so much for joining us this week.facebook.com/belgraveswizard3cr.org.au/radicalaustralia/episode/baba-desiinstagram.com/slidingdoorphotography

Antoinette Pitt used to roadie for 73 Bob Bob and was Australia's first female wrestling referee. She is a woman of many surprises. Antoinette is a nurse and an executive for Australian Progressives who have 6 pillars of E's: Ethics + Empathy + Evidence + Equality + Engagement + Empowerment. Learn all about Antoinette's goth phase in Lilydale and her time as an apprective spray painter. Antoinette is a '77 baby. Thanks for being our lovely guest, Antoinette!progressives.org.auAntoinette chatting in studio 1 at 3CR.