Radical Australia

"What is the best use of me for the world?" So aks Jiselle Hanna from 3CR's Asia Pacific Currents, broadcasting every Saturday morning, who joins us this week and shares some of her life journey so far, from a childhood growing up in Coburg, where she and her sisters ruled the local pool, to a high school on the other side of town that changed her life. Jiselle has been on a healing journey for a little while. She tells us that she has been through some big political changes since the 1990s, where she felt her political perspective had become too narrow and where she broadened her view to encompass all those who suffer under capitalism. These days, Jiselle is a great Aunty, a public servant in the justice department, socialist and member of Australia Asia Worker Links. Thanks so much for sharing some of your life with us this week, Jiselle.Asia Pacific Currents, Saturdays, 9am - 9:30amAustralia Asia Worker Links: aawl.org.au

We were delighted to welcome 3CR legend, Robbie Thorpe, to the show this week for NAIDOC celebrations. It was a rare opportunity to hear some things about Robbie's life away from the mic and we learnt a few things about the great man. Robbie intended to be a sportsman and was a keen footballer and boxer before a trip to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy changed his life trajectory when he was sixteen years old. He felt he couldn't be a sportsman in a land on which his people were suffering, and the rest is history. Robbie shares his thoughts on 3CR's broadcast series Beyond The Bars and we also hear some of his reflections on loss. Robbie currenly helms three programs on 3CR, including The Black Block, Bunjil's Fire and Blak n Deadly. Be sure to catch Robbie on one of his shows for some sharp, sovereign analysis, great phone calls and cool music. Thanks a bunch for all you do, Robbie.The Black Block, Mondays, 11am - 12pmBunjil's Fire, Wednesdays, 11am - 2pmBlak n Deadly, Fridays, 11am - 12pm

We are delighted to welcome Brett Collins to this week's episode of Radical Australia. Brett has done some staunch work over the years campaigning for prisoner rights. These days that takes the form of rights to digital technology and communications. Brett heads up Justice Action, which grew out of a prisoner's action group, upon release from over 9 years' served in New South Wales penitentiaries in the 1970s. Brett learnt a lot about how to cope at a most basic level during his time inside, with many moments spent in isolation, some of that in black cells where he read the Bible in the sliver of light coming under the cell door. Justice Action hit its straps during the Hilton bombing campaign and it remains busy today staying connected to people though letter writing, getting people's voices out and campaigning for prisoner access to e-technology, in keeping with today's times. Hear about Justice Action's recent trip to Nairobi and Brett's views on the prison system today. We thank Brett so much for joining

This week's guest on Radical Australia is a well-known and well-loved progressive activist who gets himself around the land quite a bit: Andy Paine. Andy says he has a restless soul and it has recently taken him to northern Iraq to witness some inspiring political action. A far cry from Mudgee, New South Wales, where Andy grew up with a bunch of other brothers and where radio was a link to a bigger world. Andy now finds himself at 4ZZZ in Brissie where he has been for 10 years and produces a show on Fridays called The Paradigm Shift, a show that envisions other possibilities. Andy got his activist straps during the Adani campaign where they lived a communal life on property near the site and disrupted works while modelling other kinds of community life, figuring out how they could work. Andy says he has had a good life full of adventures and has done many remote recordings along the way to capture them. Keep up the great work, Andy, and thanks very much for being our guest this weekThe Paradigm Shift I Friday

This week's guest, Donna Stolzenberg, has done some amazing things for Melbourne's homeless community. Donna began the Melbourne Homeless Support Group, organising the collection of blankets and sleeping bags across 80 drop-off points. She can tell you a thing or two about 'shit people give to the homeless'. Donna also began the Melbourne Period Project, orgnanising period packs through donations from organisations and individuals. Donna has learnt a lot in this journey about period poverty and how menstruation is still not a safe experience for all women in Australia. The Melbourne Period Project currently has 180 drop-off points. Back in time, Donna opened The Kala Space, an op-shop employing people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. She is the Managing Director of the National Homeless Collective and has raised 5 boys. Donna hails from Kalgoorlie. In 2021, she won the Victorian of the Year. She is a bit of a legend and a lovely person to boot. Thank-you so much for joining us this week, Donna, an

Our show notes tell us that this week's guest, Su Robertson, has done an enormous amount with her life in the community law sphere and elsewhere. Su began her working life as a flight attendant where she roamed the skies for over 19 years. During this time she was the State Secretary for the Flight Attendant's Union which she got involved in after living and working through the Pilot's Dispiute in 1989. This was a dispute over wages and conditions and pilots resigned en masse. Since then, Su has been a committed community lawyer, getting her articles of clerkship after uni at Fitzroy Legal Service before progressing on to the Environmental Defenders Office, various other community legal centres and now at the Consumer Action Law Centre who run programs like the National Help Debtline. Su keeps 3CR broadcasters safely within the borders of media law and is a well-loved trainer. Thanks for joining us once again, Su, and keep up your great work and passion for the grassroots.Done By Law, Tuesdays 6pm - 6:30pm Au

Self-described sports nuffy, Patrick Morrow, is our latest guest on Radical Australia and we are so glad he could join us! Patrick was born in 1999, a Millenium baby, 3 months premature. Pat has certainly made up for that, rising now to a height well over 6 feet. Patrick is a producer on 3CR's Wednesday Breakfast and Talkback With Attitude when he isn't doing footy voiceover work in Geelong and calling games for the Essendon District Football League. With his love of both geography and sport, Patrick is soon heading over to Greece with his buddies to check out the origin site of the Olympics. Be sure to send us a postcard, Pat, and thanks so much for being our guest this week.3cr.org.au/wednesday-breakfast3cr.org.au/talkback

Our guest on Radical Australia this week is a lovely artist and activist who called in from beautiful Gympie, Queensland. Zela grew up in the gorgeous surrounds of Hervey Bay and was into progressive grassroots organising and activism from a young age. Zela was a member of the Self Management Group, a libertarian communist organisation and was a part of the 1970s Right to March movement. She created the Sisters of Mary performance trio who buoyed the activists during gatherings against the damning of the Mary River in 2007. An incredible popular front arose in that campaign during the Millenium Drought. Zela has a Masters of Environmental Education and is a potter. Make sure to check out some of Zela's beautiful artworks on her website. Thank-you for being our guest this week, Zela.zela.com.auSisters of Mary l-r Zela, Glenda Pickersgill, Joolie GibbsScenes from a Right to March protest, Brisbane 1977 c/o The GuardianZela with former Self Management group members who turned out for the Mary River protest 2007

We are joined in the studio this week by one of our charming receptioninsts, Grace Kelly. Grace has only been living in Australia and Melbourne for 18 months and has already found her way to 3CR. We're looking forward to seeing her 3CR journey. We thank Grace for sharing some of her life with us this week, including tales of many travels around the world and many interesting experiences. Grace is currenly halfway through the 3CR Introduction to Broadcasting course. We expect she'll be on the decks at some stage. Thanks, Grace!

This week's special guest, Margaret Kelly, is holding out on being evicted from her home on the Barack Beacon estate in Port Melbourne while the Andrews Labor government seeks to knock it down from under her feet. Margaret has lived on the estate for 25 years and says it is the friendliest place she's ever lived. The buildings are structurally sound and the rooms are spacious. This is nothing but the unnecessary destruction of a community, dispersed to the winds, and the sale of a public asset from under our feet.  Margaret urges you to join her on the steps of Parliament House on Thursday May 11, 11:30am where she will hold a press conference before walking down to the housing minister's office, Colin Brooks. Dress in your Sunday best!In this episode, we learn about Margaret's life journey as an early IT worker in the early 80s, her lifelong post-viral illness, her early life in New Zealand and her time at Imperial College, England.For more information about Margaret's media conference visit: facebook.com/Pu

Tune into this week's episode of Radical Australia if you want to hear what taxes are really about and just a hint: they're not about revenue for services, as much as we've been told they are. That's just one of the enlightening bits of economic juice you will hear from this week's guest, Kevin Gaynor, co-producer and presenter on 3CR's Friday afternoon show, Radio MMT,  a show that puts progressive, macro economic theory into plain English so we can all understand it. Sounds like a great show and Kevin is a very engaging speaker! Kevin is one of 12 kids and grew up around Camberwell Junction, into rowing as a teen and he became a roadie at some stage, working with many Australian household rock n roll names in the 80s. Kevin is also a lighting technician and did the lights for Public Enemy when they toured. We had a great time listening to Kevin debunk some of the myths we hold on economics. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Kevin and make sure you check out Radio MMT sometime. Thanks for being our gu

This week's guest, Holly Hammond, is the director of the Commons Social Change Library, a one-stop online directory of progressive Australian activism. Holly hails from Western Australia and was both a teenage trot and teenage anarchist, inspired by Marx at the age of 15. At age 29, she had an epiphany to dedicate her life to social movmement work and has done much with that since. Holly is a trainer and facilitator and created Plan to Win before starting the Commons. Holly has some good tips for creating successful activist groups. She trains activists for winning and how to take care of themselves along the way. It was a privilege to speak with Holly on the show this week. Keep up the great work, Holly.commonslibrary.org I plantowin.net.au

This week's guest, Lotti Stein, is a 3CR legend, coming to the station at the wee age of 21. Lotti was a sound technician, trainer and producer and is well loved. Lotti is a '77 baby and grew up in Melbourne tormenting their younger brother. They were a self-described 'weird child', being neurodivergent but not knowing what that meant back then. Lotti now raises a young daughter who is also neurodivergent and we had a good talk about what that all means. We hope you enjoy this week's conversation with Lotti.

This week's guest, Timothy Fitzgerald, has been a molecular biologist but is now an expert in intellectual property. In this episode we learn about Timothy's journey to starting thinking about the faults within parliamentary democracy and the lack of action by politicians on climate change. He started reading about imperialism, social democracy, Chomsky, anarchism, Social Ecology and Bookchin. Timothy now organises with Anarchists Against Poverty in Queensland. Thanks so much for joining us this week, Timothy. Keep up the great work.Anarchists Against Poverty Community Day, Townsville

This week's guest is Julie Mac who came down to the radio station to join us from Bendigo. Julie has compiled a book, SNAP, about the Australian teen sharpie, of which she was a proud one. Julie says the sharpies are misunderstood: they weren't criminals, they were teenagers who got around on public transport. They wore Stagger's jeans, did the pogo at the Crystal Ballroom, wore cardigans and got their shoes from Cosmano's in Collingwood. Talk about the beloved sharpie subculture is sure to be a hit with many listeners. Julie is now a social worker who grew up in Croydon. It was fun hearing about the sharpies and the bodgies and their dedication to their style. Julie has documented an authentically Australian working-class subculture in her book and we were so delighted to have her on the show. We hope you enjoy the episode and we thank the lovely Julie for joining us this week.Julie is also the author of the memoir RAGE: a sharpie's journal Melbourne 1974 to 1980SNAP is now available as an ebook on Amazon

On this week's show we welcome local Beaconsfield resident turned activist, Fran Healy, who came on to talk about her work campaigning for the protection of two gems in her community: the old railway house and the accompanying Bunya Bunya tree. The railway house was lovingly restored over 20 years by its previous owners and the Bunya Bunya tree is an ancient species, planted on this spot 144 years ago. Fran and friends have been active the past year since the announcement by Andrews Labor to disturb the site for level crossing work. In this conversation we begin by getting to know Fran and then she guides us through the campaign. Special mention to fellow campaigners David, Joan and Christie, as well as Graham and Anne Taylor from the Beaconsfield Progress Association. The campaign invites you to join them for a picnic on Sunday April 2nd, 12pm, to hug the bunya bunya and see its majesty for yourself. Let's hope the campaign is successful. We thank Fran for joining us and congratulate the group on all their h

'Everyone has an imagination. Everyone has talent'. This week's wonderful guest on Radical Australia, Daniel Waters, lights the match of creativity to spark the fire of imagination among many diverse communities as an art group facilitator. Dan grew up with back-to-the-land hippies in 1980s Gippsland, playing football and cricket, before moving to select Art at Monash. He spent time in St Kilda's dive bars and pool halls and sold door handles before moving back to the country and getting into the NFP sector and taking up the art direction again. Dan currently works with people with spinal cord injuries and it was such a delight to welcome him to the show this week. Keep up the great work, Dan! We hope you enjoy this episode.

On this week's special International Women's Day broacast, Kelly sits down with 3CR media law trainer and broadcaster from Done By Law, Su Robertson, to learn about her formative years and reflections on growing up in her family. From a houseboat on the Parramatta River, to Perth and Melbourne, Su's father went where the work was in the aviation industry and Su followed in his footsteps by becoming a flight attendant before moving into law. We'll hear all about that in Part Two. We thank Su very much for being our gorgeous femmy guest this week. Good on you, Su. Done By Law - Thursdays - 6pm-6:30pm Su with Mum c. 1958

This week's guest, Latoya Hoeg, shares her story of growing up and coming to understand her identity as fa'afafine in both Wellington and Samoa. Latoya works as a peer community health outreach worker in St Kilda with the sex worker community and was recently involved in the new 3CR program PX Whanau. It was great hearing some of Latoya's life story and we thank her very much for being our guest this weekpacifiquex.com/pxwhanauPX Whanau Radio - Saturdays 1:30pm - 2pm

Chelsea Knight called us from cane country in Mackay where she lives with her daughter and where she grew up. Chelsea is a violinist and terribly nice person who works in the Anarchists Against Poverty network in Queensland, holding free shops and distributing goods to those who need them. It was great hearing about Chelsea's life journey to now and her philosophies on life. Thank-you, Chelsea, for being our guest this week and for the great work you do.@anarchynq (facebook) I anarchistsnq (instagram)