Words on Wednesday

Jin Sun Kim came to Australia from her native Korea to become a pastry chef. Along the way she fell in love with chocolate and is now a chocolatier at her business Kakawa in Darlinghurst. Learn about where chocolate comes from, how it is made and what makes it good – and bad! [...]Read More... from Chocolate with chocolatier Jin Sun Kim

The first recorded curry meal served in the colony was at a dinner party given bt Governor Macquarie. It was the food of the upper classes and, as we have learned with other foodstuffs, it doesn’t come on to the tables of average households until it is cheap and plentiful. Commercial curry powders came to [...]Read More... from Eat Your History Part 6: Curry with Jacqui Newling

The first recorded curry meal served in the colony was at a dinner party given bt Governor Macquarie. It was the food of the upper classes and, as we have learned with other foodstuffs, it doesn't come on to the tables of average households until it is cheap and plentiful. Commercial curry powders came to the colony later in the 19th century.

Jin Sun Kim came to Australia from her native Korea to become a pastry chef. Along the way she fell in love with chocolate and is now a chocolatier at her business Kakawa in Darlinghurst. Learn about where chocolate comes from, how it is made and what makes it good - and bad!

King Henry VI inherited the English throne aged 9 months, on the death of his father, the legendary Henry V and he inherited the French throne from his grandfather, Charles VI some months later. He was crowned as a boy in November 1429. Henry was simply not meant to be a ruler and his reign, [...]Read More... from King Henry VI with Dr Carole Cusack

Jelly arrived in the colony long after it was fashionable on tables in England. It was very much a rich man’s dish because of the time it took to make. Learn about these techniques and how jelly later becomes a staple in all Australian homes. [...]Read More... from Eat Your History Part 5: Jelly with Jacqui Newling

King Henry VI inherited the English throne aged 9 months, on the death of his father, the legendary Henry V and he inherited the French throne from his grandfather, Charles VI some months later. He was crowned as a boy in November 1429. Henry was simply not meant to be a ruler and his reign, during the  Wars of the Roses simply made the situation worse. His reign included imprisonment in there Tower of London and prolonged periods of madness. What a comparison to the orderly nature of the British monarchs today!

Jelly arrived in the colony long after it was fashionable on tables in England. It was very much a rich man's dish because of the time it took to make. Learn about these techniques and how jelly later becomes a staple in all Australian homes.

Halloween was not part of growing up for many of us. We just assumed it was an American custom we acquired via popular television. Actually it started as a Celtic festival more than 2,000 years ago. Dr Carole Cusack Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Sydney, tells us more about the Celts, how [...]Read More... from Halloween with Professor Carole Cusack

Jacqui Newling returns with Part 4  on oysters. In the early days, oysters were used as mortar. However, we quickly started harvesting them for eating and by the 1860s had seriously depleted this resource. Thus began oyster farming. [...]Read More... from Eat Your History Part 4: Oysters

Jacqui Newling returns with Part 4  on oysters. In the early days, oysters were used as mortar. However, we quickly started harvesting them for eating and by the 1860s had seriously depleted this resource. Thus began oyster farming.

Halloween was not part of growing up for many of us. We just assumed it was an American custom we acquired via popular television. Actually it started as a Celtic festival more than 2,000 years ago. Dr Carole Cusack Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Sydney, tells us more about the Celts, how the festival became part of Christianity and now a mainstream celebration.

My childhood and teenage days on Bondi Beach were regularly punctuated by shark alarms. As we all scrambled out of the water as fast as we could, there was no doubt as to who was the victim and who was the predator. A new exhibition at the Australian Museum, Sharks, aims to turn this view [...]Read More... from Sharks with Bob Kearney

In this episode Jacqui looks at tea. Convicts and poor settlers had drunk tea back in England, but it was not considered a staple and was not included in convicts’ rations. As more idea from China came into the colony, the poor drank cheap green tea while the wealthy drank black tea with milk and [...]Read More... from Eat Your History Part 3: Tea with Jacqui Newling

In this episode Jacqui looks at tea. Convicts and poor settlers had drunk tea back in England, but it was not considered a staple and was not included in convicts' rations. As more idea from China came into the colony, the poor drank cheap green tea while the wealthy drank black tea with milk and sugar. Learn how this became the ubiquitous drink for Australians.

My childhood and teenage days on Bondi Beach were regularly punctuated by shark alarms. As we all scrambled out of the water as fast as we could, there was no doubt as to who was the victim and who was the predator. A new exhibition at the Australian Museum, Sharks, aims to turn this view on its head: we are the predators and sharks the victims. This is a big ask for many of us! So off I went to see the exhibition with Professor Bob Kearney. Bob is a fisheries management expert and I'm pleased to say, makes a welcome return to Arts Wednesday - not to mention a great partner to review this exhibition.

When the convicts and first settlers arrived, sugar was not a staple. It was still a very expensive commodity, only on the tables of the wealthy. Learn how sugar became more plentiful, cheaper and part of everyone's life.

When the convicts and first settlers arrived, sugar was not a staple. It was still a very expensive commodity, only on the tables of the wealthy. Learn how sugar became more plentiful, cheaper and part of everyone’s life. [...]Read More... from Eat Your History Part 2: Sugar with Jacqui Newling

One in ten women leave work as a result of menopause. They are aged 45-55, an age when we can least afford for them to abandon work. However, for these women, the symptoms are unbearable. And yet, it is so easy to make life bearable for menopausal women in the workplace. Dr Ginni Mansberg and [...]Read More... from Menopause in the Workplace with Dr Ginni Mansberg

We return to a series from 2016 with Jacqui Newling called Eat Your History. Jacqui is colonial gastronomer at Sydney Living Museums and in this series, she takes us through the history of basic food staples in the early colony. First episode is our most basic: bread. [...]Read More... from Eat Your History Part 1: Bread with Jacqui Newling

We return to a series from 2016 with Jacqui Newling called Eat Your History. Jacqui is colonial gastronomer at Sydney Living Museums and in this series, she takes us through the history of basic food staples in the early colony. First episode is our most basic: bread.

Sadly, this is the final episode in this wonderful series. Sue concludes by looking at the legacy of Rogers and Hammerstein, who were responsible for the Golden Age of musicals. One such legacy was partnerships such as Lerner and Loewe, responsible for Brigadoon and My Fair Lady.  However, mentoring was another important legacy: Leonard Bernstein [...]Read More... from The Musical – More Than Entertainment Part 6: Conclusion with Sue Jowell

In this conversation, Fran takes us on a tour of us: homo sapiens. Along the way, we learn about how we came to be us and along the way we meet other species of humans: Neanderthals, Denisovans and the so called “hobbits” of Indonesia. Did you know we all carry between 1 and 4% of [...]Read More... from Human Evolution with Fran Dorey

One in ten women leave work as a result of menopause. They are aged 45-55, an age when we can least afford for them to abandon work. However, for these women, the symptoms are unbearable. And yet, it is so easy to make life bearable for menopausal women in the workplace. Dr Ginni Mansberg and Shelley Horton devised an online course, designed for ALL workers in any given workplace, in an attempt to increase knowledege and understanding of this perfectly natural part of life. Ginni makes a welcome return to Arts Wednesday to talk about this new venture.

In this conversation, Fran takes us on a tour of us: homo sapiens. Along the way, we learn about how we came to be us and along the way we meet other species of humans: Neanderthals, Denisovans and the so called "hobbits" of Indonesia. Did you know we all carry between 1 and 4% of Neanderthal genes and one of those genes is responsible for red hair!

Sue Jowell returns with Part 5 of the series and continues with the Golden Age, concentrating on The King and I and The Sound of Music. [...]Read More... from The Musical – More Than Entertainment Part 5

If you need a medical diagnosis or treatment, you are lucky to be alive today! In medieval times, your diagnosis and treatment would depend on your bodily fluids, the seasons and even the alignment of the planets! Kill or Cure is the title of a new exhibition at SLNSW and curator, Elise Edmonds, tells us about [...]Read More... from Kill or Cure with Elise Edmonds

If you need a medical diagnosis or treatment, you are lucky to be alive today! In medieval times, your diagnosis and treatment would depend on your bodily fluids, the seasons and even the alignment of the planets! Kill or Cure is the title of a new exhibition at SLNSW and curator, Elise Edmonds, tells us about the cures and the many fascinating objects, mainly from the rare book collection of the library.

In Part 4, Sue Jowell tells us about the Golden Age of musicals,  starting in the 50s and in this episode, we hear about Oklahoma, Carousel and South Pacific.

In Part 4, Sue Jowell tells us about the Golden Age of musicals,  starting in the 50s and in this episode, we hear about Oklahoma, Carousel and South Pacific. [...]Read More... from The Musical – More Than Entertainment Part 4: The Golden Age

Psychologist, Dr Steven Laurent, talks about anger. What is it? What makes us angry? Can it be a positive force? Can we control it? Learn the answers to these and many more questions. [...]Read More... from Anger with Dr Steven Laurent

Sadly, this is the final episode in this wonderful series. Sue concludes by looking at the legacy of Rogers and Hammerstein, who were responsible for the Golden Age of musicals. One such legacy was partnerships such as Lerner and Loewe, responsible for Brigadoon and My Fair Lady.  However, mentoring was another important legacy: Leonard Bernstein mentored Stephen Sondheim and Sondheim mentored Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer of Hamilton.

Sue Jowell returns with Part 5 of the series and continues with the Golden Age, concentrating on The King and I and The Sound of Music.

Psychologist, Dr Steven Laurent, talks about anger. What is it? What makes us angry? Can it be a positive force? Can we control it? Learn the answers to these and many more questions.

In this episode, Sue Jowell starts with Showboat, which is the exception to the backstage musicals we discussed in episode 2. Sue then moves to the musicals she calls Ground Breakers: Pal Joey and Cabin in the Sky. [...]Read More... from The Musical – More Than Entertainment Part 3: Groundbreakers

Bob Kearney is an academic who has dedicated his professional life to the study of fisheries and their management. With his vast knowledge and experience, he tells us about the state of our oceans, our rivers and estuaries and the impact on fish. Climate change, habitat loss and feckless human behaviour are all assessed with [...]Read More... from Fish and Fishing with Bob Kearney

Bob Kearney is an academic who has dedicated his professional life to the study of fisheries and their management. With his vast knowledge and experience, he tells us about the state of our oceans, our rivers and estuaries and the impact on fish. Climate change, habitat loss and feckless human behaviour are all assessed with Bob's practical intelligence.

In this episode Sue talks about the backstage musical, where the plot takes place in a theatrical context. They became popular in the 1930’s – the escapism of song and dance worked in the time of the Great Depression. The movies starring Fred Astaire with a variety of dance partners – notably Ginger Rogers – [...]Read More... from The Musical – More Than Entertainment Part 2: The Backstage Musical with Sue Jowell

Adam’s latest book is called Three Sheets to the Wind and tells the remarkable story of the voyage in 1796 of the Sydney Cove from Calcutta to Sydney. Its massive cargo, most importantly, included 7000 gallons of best Bengali rum, being sold to the dissolute colony of NSW, under the corrupt regime of the NSW [...]Read More... from Three Sheets to the Wind with Adam Courtenay

Adam's latest book is called Three Sheets to the Wind and tells the remarkable story of the voyage in 1796 of the Sydney Cove from Calcutta to Sydney. Its massive cargo, most importantly, included 7000 gallons of best Bengali rum, being sold to the dissolute colony of NSW, under the corrupt regime of the NSW corps and the truly awful John  McArthur. Only 3 of the original crew make it to Sydney, but what a journey!

Diane's latest book is set in Jersey, one of the Channel Islands occupied by the Nazis during World War II and alternates  in time between those dark days and the present. Diane talks about the inspiration for the novel and her research, including her trips to Jersey.

Diane’s latest book is set in Jersey, one of the Channel Islands occupied by the Nazis during World War II and alternates  in time between those dark days and the present. Diane talks about the inspiration for the novel and her research, including her trips to Jersey. [...]Read More... from Dancing with the Enemy with Diane Armstrong

Sue Jowell joins us for a new series entitled The Musical – More Than Entertainment. In Part 1, she introduces the background and early history of the musical from the 18th century, through vaudeville and Gilbert and Sullivan of the 19th century. We conclude with where Sue’s heart belongs: the silver screen and the first [...]Read More... from The Musical – More than entertainment! Part 1 with Sue Jowell

In this final episode of From the Quantum to the Cosmos, Geraint talks about facing cosmic mysteries: what don’t we understand? Well  basically a lot – like 70% of the stuff of our universe: dark matter and dark energy, for a start! Once some great scientist discovers the Theory of Everything, that chasm between quantum [...]Read More... from From the Quantum to the Cosmos Part 6: Facing Cosmic Mysteries wit Professor Geraint Lewis

Anna Groden from ANG Art and I made our annual pilgrimage to the Archibald finalists at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and recorded our impressions in this conversation. As always, I tend to be the cynic while Anna brings the measured approach, tempered as always, with her great knowledge. Were we blown away? [...]Read More... from The Archibald 2022 with Anna Groden

Anna Groden from ANG Art and I made our annual pilgrimage to the Archibald finalists at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and recorded our impressions in this conversation. As always, I tend to be the cynic while Anna brings the measured approach, tempered as always, with her great knowledge. Were we blown away? No, we weren't. But there are some gems we love as well as some that just didn't resonate.

When Dr Ruth Wilson turned 70, she kept dreaming that she had lost her voice. In a determined effort to find it – and indeed herself – she left her Sydney life for a cottage in the Southern Highlands. To heal her ailing soul, she decided to reread the 6 novels of Jane Austen  Her [...]Read More... from The Jane Austen Remedy with Dr Ruth Wilson

In this episode, Geraint reiterates the chasm between quantum mechanics and traditional astrophysics  in explaining our universe. Both sides know we need to mesh the 2 theories if we are to understand our universe. Both sides have wonderful mathematical support for their theories, but they are talking different mathematical languages. How are scientists going about [...]Read More... from From the Quantum to the Cosmos Part 5: The Future off a Quantum Cosmos wit Professor Geraint Lewis

Sue Jowell joins us for a new series entitled The Musical - More Than Entertainment. In Part 1, she introduces the background and early history of the musical from the 18th century, through vaudeville and Gilbert and Sullivan of the 19th century. We conclude with where Sue's heart belongs: the silver screen and the first ever synchronised musical on screen: The Jazz Singer with Al Jolson

In this episode, Sue Jowell starts with Showboat, which is the exception to the backstage musicals we discussed in episode 2. Sue then moves to the musicals she calls Ground Breakers: Pal Joey and Cabin in the Sky.

In this episode Sue talks about the backstage musical, where the plot takes place in a theatrical context. They became popular in the 1930's - the escapism of song and dance worked in the time of the Great Depression. The movies starring Fred Astaire with a variety of dance partners - notably Ginger Rogers - were popular as were the Andy Hardy films with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. It is a genre that continued through the 50s, 60s and even the 80's with Phantom of the Opera.