Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
40 Episodes 2005 - 2005
Episode 1
30 mins
Comedian Wendy Harmer bravely reveals a set of photos showing the facial deformity she was born with when Australian Story begins its new season on February 7. Locked away in the archives of the Melbourne Children's Hospital for nearly 50 years, the confronting photos were retrieved for Australian Story's profile of the writer, broadcaster and stand-up comedian. Despite being born with a hare lip and double cleft palate, Wendy Harmer went on to become one of Australia's best known performers and at one time the highest paid woman on radio. Last year she was invited to share her knowledge about overcoming a facial deformity by visiting children in Fiji born with the same condition. With the Australian Story crew in tow, she spent a week watching Australian surgeons from the Interplast organisation, which carries out plastic surgery on children in developing countries. It was an emotional time for Harmer, who found that the experience took her back to her own childhood when she was the subject of cruel jokes and insults about her appearance. But she was delighted to see the Interplast surgeons were able to transform the lives of the Fijian children at a much earlier age than in her case. Her face was not fully repaired until she was 15. Interplast Australia is made up of medical teams who give up their own time to assist people in countries where plastic surgery is difficult or impossible to get.
Episode 2
30 mins
When Ian Thorpe won his two gold medals at the Athens Olympics, it was a personal triumph for him - and a vindication for a former art teacher called Tracey Menzies. Two years earlier, Menzies was at the centre of controversy when Thorpe appointed her to replace his long time coach and mentor, Doug Frost. Not only was Menzies a woman in a traditionally male role, but she was also relatively unknown and inexperienced. Her own promising career as a swimmer was cut short when she collapsed with a serious illness at a major swimming meet. Thorpe's choice of Menzies to replace Doug Frost shocked other swim coaches. Swimming legend Don Talbot tells Australian Story: "the people who were hoping it would be them were vindictive." When Menzies went to Athens last year, she was the first female coach in 30 years to make an Australian Olympic Swim Team. Australian Story goes behind the scenes and features candid and revealing interviews with Menzies, Thorpe, Craig Stevens and other top swimmers.
Episode 3
30 mins
Debbie Singh was running a Perth boutique and juggling marriage and three children, when out of the blue in 1998, she discovered that her brother had been locked up in Thailand's notorious hell hole, the Klong Prem prison, or the "Bangkok Hilton''. John Doran had been arrested for passing forged travellers cheques in Bangkok and was sentenced to eight years imprisonment. In the third world conditions of Klong Prem prison, John developed tuberculosis, became emaciated and lost half his teeth. Debbie feared he would not survive. Ignoring family advice, Debbie put her life on hold for six years so she could visit John and lobby endlessly for a Prisoner Exchange Treaty between Australia and Thailand, to allow her brother to serve out his sentence in his home country. During the process she became passionately involved in the plight of other prisoners of all nationalities and developed projects to try to help them as well. In 2003, John Doran became the first Australian prisoner to be transferred from Thailand to a Perth jail. Debbie was widely acknowledged for providing the crucial impetus for the ratification of the Prisoner Exchange Treaty. But Debbie's crusade on her brother's behalf has had a significant financial, physical and emotional cost. And when John Doran finally returned home, he rejected Debbie and her family in a development that shattered them all... But there was to be one final happier twist - the arrival in Australia of a small stranger - John Doran's Thai born son.
Episode 4
30 mins
The woman whose case was central to the controversy that led to the resignation of Governor-General Peter Hollingworth, speaks out publicly, for the first time, on Australian Story on Feb 28 and March 7. Beth Heinrich, a 65-year-old nurse is the former schoolgirl who was involved in a 40-year relationship with clergyman Donald Shearman. He rose to become Australia's most senior Anglican bishop. As Governor-General, three years ago, Dr Hollingworth was savagely criticised for appearing to defend Donald Shearman's behaviour. Donald Shearman had been a universally admired figure in the church. But he was defrocked last year by a tribunal of the Anglican Church. Now, on Australian Story, Ms Heinrich and other key figures provide a detailed account, spanning five decades, of the build up to one of the more extraordinary episodes in recent Australian political history. Also speaking, for the first time, and in the strongest possible terms, is Bishop Richard Hurford who was Donald Shearman's Dean during Shearman's time as Bishop of Grafton. And Wendy McCarthy, Chancellor of Canberra University, who was Beth Heinrich's dormitory mate at school, adds fresh recollections and insights.
Episode 5
30 mins
Australian Story continues the saga of Beth Heinrich and her involvement from her school days, with a married priest who went on to become Australia's most senior Anglican bishop. Ms Heinrich's association with Bishop Donald Shearman continued for 40 years. When finally revealed publicly three years ago, it fuelled a controversy that eventually led to the resignation of Governor-General Peter Hollingworth. Until Australian Story last week, Beth Heinrich had never identified herself publicly or divulged the full extent of her experiences with now defrocked Donald Shearman. This week she tells of the promises that led her to believe she had a future with him and the shock and betrayal she felt when the Anglican Church hierarchy failed to give her a proper hearing. She also, for the first time, gives an insight into the events leading up to the former Governor-General's controversial comments in 2002.
Episode 6
30 mins
Millions of fans around the world know him affectionately as Harold Bishop, the slightly daggy star of the television soapie Neighbours. But until now, none knew Ian Smith's real life story encompasses a drama more remarkable than any script he has ever performed. Ian's character, Harold Bishop has had a fair share of triumphs and tragedies for nearly 20 years. But Ian's discovery of the truth about his identity and his real parents was a shock no rehearsal could have prepared him for. It has been a case of reality outdoing the soap opera and it's seen the beginning of a remarkable relationship between Ian and a woman who had never heard of Neighbours. Finding and loving people who are related by blood for the first time has been a bittersweet experience for Ian, and the twist his story takes underscores the old saying that life imitates art and truth really is stranger than fiction.
Episode 7
30 mins
Melissa Holland thought she was "lucky" when a last-minute seat became available for a getaway break on King Island with five nursing colleagues. It turned out to be the start of a tragic turn of events that changed her life forever. After a couple of days relaxing on the island, the friends boarded their light plane to return to Melbourne. But a treacherous crosswind brought the plane back down. Three nurses died including the pilot, and Melissa was dragged from the wreckage severely injured. It was a huge emergency for the small Bass Strait community, many of them volunteer workers. They rallied in a desperate struggle to try to save the lives of the survivors. Melissa sustained frontal brain damage, shattered vertebrae, and ankle and elbow damage. Medical staff did not expect her to survive and thought that, at best, she would have to live in a nursing home with full- time care. She spent months in hospital and years in rehabilitation re learning basic skills. Her courage and progress have amazed everyone who knows her and she is now on track to re enter the profession she loved before her accident. Melissa has fought to put her life back together without any compensation or insurance payout despite a long legal wrangle. She doesn't want pity for her plight, but justice for a situation that has been no fault of her own. A few weeks ago, Melissa mustered all her courage and again boarded a plane and returned for the first time to King Island. Australian Story went with her as she embarked on a series of emotionally charged reunions with the people who saved her life six years ago.
Episode 8
30 mins
Dr Glenn Singleman is the world record holder for high altitude BASE jumping, but he is unable to practise his sport in his own country. BASE jumping - so named as an acronym for leaps from buildings, antennas, structures and the earth with a parachute - is effectively illegal in Australia because authorities normally refuse to give permission to jump from buildings or from cliffs in national parks. "What an irony," said Dr Singleman, who has been forced to practise jumping from a hot air balloon as part of his training for a new assault on the world record with his wife, Heather Swan. "What I would like to see here in Australia is a legal site or a number of legal sites where BASE jumpers can practise their sport without the risk of being charged with an offence," he told the ABC's Australian Story program. In 1992 Dr Singleman climbed and BASE jumped off the Great Trango Tower, a 6000-metre cliff in Pakistan. By day an emergency room doctor in Sydney, he was recently asked to become media spokesman for the Australian BASE Association after their previous spokesman was killed in a BASE jumping accident. Dr Singleman faced an arduous 'baptism of fire'' in the role when a second leading BASE jumper was killed only a week later.
Episode 9
30 mins
It's a long way from the paddocks of western Queensland to the palazzos of Florence. Fourth-generation grazier Bruce Tully bridged the gap when he stepped away from his heritage and sold his family farm to follow his seemingly impossible dream of designing and selling Australian opal jewellery to the world. Bruce says he never felt life on the land was for him. As the only son in the family, he toiled away at the sheep and cattle work on his family property, but felt mostly "like a fish out of water''. But he was fascinated by his grandfather's opal mines and amazed that such magnificent stones could be found in such a bleak setting. He had a deep conviction that the opal was being undervalued and undersold in its homeland, fated mostly to end up in cheap settings in a million tacky tourists' souvenirs. Bruce's passion for opals drove him to a desire to design settings Australians could be proud of. When jewellery designers could not come up with ideas he liked, he decided to try some designs of his own. The big breakthrough came when he won a Churchill Fellowship to study with skilled artists in Florence. During his time in the Italian city he was introduced to Elisabetta Gucci, the great-granddaughter of the founder of the Gucci fashion dynasty. Now she has become an enthusiastic and influential supporter of his work.
Episode 10
30 mins
Forty years ago, entrepreneur Dick Smith and his young scouting friends climbed Ball's Pyramid, the formidable dagger-like rock that spears straight up from the Pacific Ocean, south of Lord Howe Island. It was a frightening and spectacular expedition that thrilled and challenged them and ultimately shaped their lives. Dick and his now high-achieving friends, aged between 60 and 73, regroup to visit Ball's Pyramid again to rediscover their lost youth and pit themselves against the forces of nature one more time. Their spirits are willing, but there are some surprises waiting...
Episode 11
30 mins
The dramatic story of a Sydney family forced to flee the city because of fears for the safety of their youngest daughter, is the focus of this week's Australian Story. The youngest daughter of Ian and Sarah Norton was 13 when she was raped by two men in May 2003. In a press conference the next day, police described the offenders as "of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern appearance.'' Eight months later, the girl was sexually assaulted again by a group of youths in a carpark near Sydney Airport. Threats were also made to her family members, who decided to leave Sydney for fear of further attacks. After the family complained about the police handling of the case, a senior detective, Chris Laycock, was appointed to investigate the matter. But in a bizarre twist, Laycock was named as corrupt by the Police Integrity Commission a few months later. In a further twist, the girl's father Ian Norton achieved an extraordinary court victory against a man who sexually abused him when he was a teenager. Although more than 25 years had passed since the events, the man was gaoled in 2003 for four years. Ian Norton says the experience of battling for justice in his own case made him more determined than ever to fight for his daughter's rights. No-one has been charged over the attacks on her. NSW Police said on Friday that Strikeforce 'Textile', set up to enquire into the Norton case, was still investigating "a number of issues concerning police actions" with findings expected shortly. Separately, in a letter to the Nortons, the regional commander says "it appears that the complaint investigation conducted by former Det. Sergeant Laycock was completed to a satisfactory standard" However it has been recommended that the State Crime Command consider re-investigating the sexual assault claims.
Episode 12
30 mins
In the 1980s as an unemployed medical scientist, Professor Robert Tindle made a discovery that led to the breakthrough use of stem cells for saving thousands of lives around the world. His discovery was crucial 20 years later in saving the life of his own critically ill daughter. University Masters degree student Danielle Tindle, 25, hadn't been close to her father but that was about to change when she was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma two years ago. Unlike Delta Goodrem (who she resembles) Danielle did not recover from the first round of chemotherapy and her cancerous lumps returned. To save her life, oncologist Dr Devinder Gill from Brisbane's Princess Alexandra hospital ordered a previously untried chemotherapy concoction - so severe there was a high risk it might kill her - followed by a stem cell transplant. It was only then that Danielle was told that her father was the scientist who led the group that made the breakthrough discovery of CD 34 markers for stem cells. This resulted in the worldwide use of stem cells to save the lives of previously terminal cancer cases. Robert Tindle is now the Director of a Queensland virus research centre and has an international reputation. He says: "When I was working in the UK in the late 70s and early 80s, one of the things that my group turned up was a particular re-agent, which it turns out, could identify stem cells in the bone marrow. We made this discovery and the research grant got cut at the same time.'' Wife Elizabeth Tindle recalls: "He was unemployed and he actually had the cells in the little kitchen fridge and he was sending them off with his own unemployment benefit to all the main centres of Europe. I thought it was amazing that these were the things we had in our fridge - these stem cells that 20 years later contributed greatly to saving his own daughter's life.''
Episode 13
30 mins
Every year, on 5th May the family of Caroline Anderson gather to remember her sudden, unnecessary death. They do this not in sombre hues or with mournful hymns but with the children laughing and balloons flying heavenward. On the balloons are letters to their Mum: "Hi Mum, I hope you are happy in heaven... I'm in the soccer team now...". Australian Story follows the appalling events that lead a healthy new mother from the birth of her healthy third child to death "by neglect" in a period of a few weeks. The Anderson family, whose members include pharmacists, nurses and lawyers, would seem to be among the least likely candidates to suffer from a breakdown in the health system. But as the coroner said at Caroline's inquest: "She fell through the cracks". However the Andersons were not just personally devastated by the loss. They felt a responsibility to attempt to salvage something positive from the tragedy. They began a long and difficult journey to attempt to change the system so that others wouldn't suffer the same fate as Caroline. Having secured a full coronial inquest into Caroline's death, the family then had to wait 12 months for the Health Care Complaints Committee to make its recommendations.
Episode 14
30 mins
The sudden death of cricket legend David Hookes in January last year produced an extraordinary public outpouring of grief. A man was subsequently charged with manslaughter and that trial is still pending. In the immediate aftermath of Hookes' death, sport's most powerful forces mobilised around his widow, Robyn. But behind the scenes, reality was at odds with the myth making and some of those closest to David Hookes felt shut out. They include his girlfriend of ALMOST two years, Christine Padfield and his only blood relative, his half brother Terry Cranage, now retired from the Australian Trade Commission. On Australian Story, both speak out for the first time...
Episode 15
30 mins
Early in 2005 Australian diver Dave Shaw made headlines around the world when he lost his life in a remote cave in South Africa. An international airline pilot, Shaw had everything going for him - a successful career, and a happy family life. But he always loved a challenge. After taking up scuba diving only seven years ago, Shaw soon decided it was too tame. He then discovered the most extreme of all sports, technical diving - a system using "rebreathers'' which recycles air and allows a diver to go deeper and stay below longer. On October 28 last year Shaw established himself as the world champion extreme diver with a death-defying dive to 270 metres in one of the world's deepest caves - Boesmansgat, or Bushman's Cave, in South Africa's Northern Cape. However, the world record was overshadowed by Shaw's discovery of the body of another diver, Deon Dreyer, who'd been lost there some 10 years previously, having blacked out at 70 metres and subsequently sunk to the bottom. Before even reaching the surface, Dave Shaw had decided on a dangerous mission to retrieve Deon Dreyer's body. Nothing like this had ever been attempted before at such depths. Australian Story travelled to South Africa with Dave Shaw's wife Ann and daughter Lisa, to retrace his last days. Also interviewed are Dave Shaw's son Steven, his dive partner Don Shirley, dive co-ordinator and women's world champion Verna van Schaik, cameraman Gordon Hiles who filmed Dave's last days, underwater cameraman and deep diver Derek Hughes who was the last to see Dave alive, and Deon Dreyer's father Theo. The program tells the inside story, with exclusive footage of the champion diver's final days, including remarkable pictures of his last fatal dive filmed by Dave Shaw himself, using a helmet-camera mounted on his head.
Episode 16
30 mins
Scott Draper has achieved the near impossible in the competitive world of modern sport. He has successfully combined two passions - his first love of tennis and a more recent affair with golf - and is now competing at an elite level in both, something said to be unprecedented. And on Australian Story he talks about a previously undisclosed medical condition that has nearly derailed him on several occasions. Also interviewed are Andre Agassi and Draper's tennis colleague and friend Jason Stoltenberg This week he steps on court at Roland Garros for the French Open, yet just weeks ago he was a top 10 finisher in a prestigious Pro Golf Championship in South Australia. It's a taxing schedule, but his energy levels have never been questioned. In 1998 when he held a ranking of 42 in the world, he was also caring for his wife Kellie who needed daily physiotherapy to battle the effects of cystic fibrosis. In 1999 Kellie lost her battle for life and Scott Draper became a widower at just 25 years of age. He lost his motivation to play tennis and nursed his grief on the golf course. Six years down the track and Draper is a new man. He's found love again and his golf clubs and tennis racquets are competing for space in the boot of his car.
Episode 17
30 mins
Australian Story revisits the program that won the industry voted Logie award for the most outstanding public affairs report earlier this month. The subject was serial killer Ivan Milat, who was jailed for life eight years ago for the murder of seven young backpackers. The original two-part program (from November 2004) has been edited into a single episode and one brother has been interviewed for a new segment at the end. Boris Milat, who broke ranks with his family, describes how appearing on the program has affected his life. And he makes a surprising revelation about Ivan Milat's current state of mind...
Episode 18
30 mins
Peter Andrews is a racehorse breeder and farmer credited with remarkable success in converting degraded, salt-ravaged properties into fertile, drought-resistant pastures. His methods are so at odds with conventional scientific wisdom, that for 30 years he has been dismissed and ridiculed as a madman. He has faced bankruptcy and family break-up. But now, at a minute to midnight, leading politicians, international scientists and businessmen are beating a path to his door as they grapple with how best to alleviate the affects of drought on the Australian landscape. Described as a man who reads and understands the Australian landscape better than most scientists, supporters of Peter Andrews claim he has done what no scientist ever thought to do - he has restored streams and wetlands to the way they were before European settlement interfered with them. The startling results of his 'natural sequence farming' are said to have been achieved very cheaply, simply and quickly. Retailer Gerry Harvey has become a committed backer and has recruited Andrews to work on his own horse stud in the Widden Valley. Businessman Richard Pratt is also getting involved. Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson has become a convert. And now a number of leading national and international scientists hail Andrews as a 'prophet' who should be listened to. There will be an internet forum at the end of next week's concluding episode.
Episode 19
30 mins
In Part 1 Australian Story introduced audiences to racehorse breeder and farmer Peter Andrews, who has had extraordinary success in converting degraded, salt-ravaged properties into fertile, drought-resistant pastures. His methods are so at odds with conventional scientific wisdom, that for 30 years he's been dismissed and ridiculed as a madman. In this week's concluding episode, eminent national and international scientists agree that Peter Andrews potentially has the solution to alleviating the affects of drought on many parts of the Australian landscape. New research on the property of retailer and Andrews backer Gerry Harvey in the Widden Valley confirms that Peter Andrews' 'natural sequence farming' is achieving startling results very cheaply, simply and quickly. Supporters of Peter Andrews say he has done what no scientist ever thought to do - he's restored streams and wetlands to the way they were before European settlement interfered with them. As the evidence mounts to support Peter Andrews' theories, committed backers such as Harvey, businessman Richard Pratt and Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson are working to harness and apply his knowledge as Australia faces the driest period on record. Vindication has come at last for Peter Andrews, but it's come at a high personal cost. There will also be an online forum at the conclusion of the program to discuss more of the scientific aspects of natural sequence farming.
Episode 20
30 mins
Film critic Margaret Pomeranz introduces the story of William McInnes, an actor better known for his high profile TV roles in 'Blue Heelers' and 'SeaChange'. There is so much more to him than meets the eye and tonight 'Australian Story' goes on a most unusual journey with this man and his family. William and his film maker wife Sarah Watt shun the celebrity life and live in the inner west of Melbourne with their two children Clem, 11, and Stella, 7. Well known writer of 'SeaChange' Andrew Knight and multi Logie-award-winning actor John Wood give insights into the man behind the acting roles. Close family and friends also talk about recent challenges facing William and his family.
Episode 21
30 mins
Australian Story tells the untold personal story of the nurse who lifted the lid on a medical scandal making front page news, not just in Australia, but around the world. Toni Hoffman is nurse in charge of the Intensive Care Unit at the Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland. For two years she tried to raise concerns about the lethal activities of a surgeon called Jayant Patel, a man now accused of murder. Toni Hoffman has emerged as the star witness at the Commission of Inquiry investigating Dr Patel and the Bundaberg Hospital. She reveals the inside story of her harrowing journey to ultimate vindication...
Episode 22
30 mins
Why would a 30-something, successful journalist and state government public relations officer drop everything to risk her life as a 'human shield' against the American bombs dropping on Baghdad? For Donna Mulhearn, it was the culmination of a long personal pilgrimage to find meaning in her life, she told the ABC's Australian Story program. The turning point came when she heard a radio interview in early 2003 with Ken O'Keefe, a former US marine turned peace activist, who called on western volunteers to go to Baghdad to act as human shields in an effort to stop the impending war. Donna Mulhearn, who had been press secretary to NSW Labor MP John Aquilina, joined the group immediately. As the most high profile of several Australian human shields who went to Iraq, her actions polarised opinion in this country. On talkback radio she was described as naïve or as a traitor to Australia, while others regarded her as hero. Australian Story viewers will see for the first time the video pictures taken in Iraq by Donna and another Australian human shield, Ruth Russell. The program will also show exclusive footage of an incident in which Donna was shot at, prior to being taken prisoner for 24 hours by an Iraqi insurgent group.
Episode 23
30 mins
Australian Story follows the extraordinary lives of a Centurion tank crew who last saw each other on a battlefield in Vietnam. After an intense battle that left tank driver John Gebhardt at death's door, the soldiers were separated. Over the years, the horrors and uncertainties of what happened on that day took its toll, especially on Sergeant Barry Chambers who had distinguished himself by saving his crew but at the cost of becoming lost himself. Finally at breaking point, Barry's wife, Dianne decided to solve the mystery of what had ruined her family's lives. Out of the dark tortured days, Barry emerged into the light when the secret of what happened to John Gebhardt was revealed. His nightmares just stopped and he was restored to his family and himself. But just when Barry got his emotions back, he was faced with an even greater loss and he had still to fight one more battle to save Trooper Gebhardt.
Episode 24
30 mins
Brian Sherman achieved the kind of success every migrant dreams of after arriving from South Africa with only $5000 to his name. He and his business partner sat around a kitchen table and set up a funds management company called Equitilink. Five years ago they sold the business for $150 million. Sherman continued to mix among the A-list of politics, business and the arts, holding a number of corporate offices, and wielding influence around the big end of town. He was a director of the Sydney Olympic Committee and was involved in a number of charities. Then, two years ago, a visit to an animal rights conference in America with his daughter, Ondine, changed his fate and his fortune. Brian Sherman was so horrified by what he learned about factory farming, in particular, that he and his daughter founded a new organisation to advocate for a better deal for animals and called it 'Voiceless'. The organisation employs a full-time lawyer, described as the first animal rights lawyer in Australia, with the objective of pressing for legislative change. 'Animal protection is not something I see myself doing in the short term. It's really my passion and I'm planning to do it for the rest of my life,' says Ondine Sherman.
Episode 25
30 mins
Lieutenant Colonel Lance Collins is one of the army's top intelligence analysts. Last year he emerged as the central figure in a major unfolding controversy about the quality of Australia's overseas intelligence - and an alleged culture of cover-up, bullying and recrimination in the defence Force and beyond. As a still serving, high-ranking officer Lance Collins has never spoken publicly - until tonight. He says he has decided to break his silence because of his concern for a military colleague, Captain Martin Toohey, the independent military lawyer who was appointed to investigate Collins' claims of bias in the Defence Intelligence Organisation.
Episode 26
30 mins
When Brian and Bobbie Houston established their own tiny house of worship 20 years ago, they didn't dream they would end up at the helm of the biggest independent church in Australia. While Hillsong revels in chart topping CDs and the beaming approval of some politicians, it does divide observers. Some admire Hillsong's material and spiritual success; others suspect a political agenda and worry about the church's financial arrangements. Through it all, the Houstons have avoided personal media scrutiny, but - for the first time - they've allowed cameras into both their church and their private life. This revealing episode includes interviews with Brian and Bobbie Houston, along with their three children Joel, Ben and Laura. Also interviewed are Hillsong's internationally famous worship pastor, singer and composer Darlene Zschech, and the chief executive of Hillsong's extensive community and aid programs, Leigh Coleman (formerly of Opportunity International).
Episode 27
30 mins
Emmah Money is a beautiful and vital young woman with the world at her feet, on a mission to shape her future. But in doing so, she has discovered devastating facts about her past. Emmah, 17, realised a teenage dream by winning a national magazine competition and becoming 'Girlfriend'' of the year - not just for her model girl looks, but for the sheer force of her personality as well. Emmah suffers from the life threatening disease cystic fibrosis and was adopted into a loving family shortly after birth through a "special needs" program. Emmah was curious about her biological parents. But it was a chance encounter during a night out that brought her into contact with a young man who knew her birth family. Gazing at her in the rear vision mirror he declared that she exactly resembled two young friends of his and had to be related. His hunch turned out to be correct. But there was an obstacle in the way of a reunion. It transpired that Emmah's grieving birth mother had been informed all those years ago that her child had died... When the two families - adoptive and biological - eventually came together, there was more heartache in store.
Episode 28
30 mins
Gemma Rice was always a 'challenge' junkie, according to her parents, so it was no surprise to them or anyone she ended up establishing an Australian-run school in Tanzania, East Africa. Her inspiring determination and ability to break through barriers to educating poor African children is the subject of Australian Story on Monday night. It's also a love story about a country girl who grew up wanting to be a nun, but whose life has taken quite a different direction. Gemma went to Africa to work in a convent school started by an order of French nuns. But her plans changed when she went on a safari to the Serengeti and fell in love with her Tanzanian safari guide, Richard Sisia. Despite the reservations of some of her family, Gemma and Richard were married in 2001. Meanwhile, she had started a scheme to sponsor the education of African children. With the help of Rotary, the scheme grew to the point where she decided it would be better to build her own school. Richard Sisia's father donated a block of land in the town of Arusha, Tanzania and the School of St Jude opened in 2002. Built by Australian volunteers and sponsors, the school now boasts more than 500 students. Gemma and Richard Sisia now have two children of their own.
Episode 29
30 mins
When Dr Lynne Milne was asked to help solve the murder of Samantha Bodsworth, her only previous dealings with police had been blowing into breathalysers and receiving speeding tickets. However the single mother and PhD student, who was just recovering from her own personal tragedies, got drawn into the world of forensic science and crime. Through her knowledge of microscopic pollen, Dr Milne was able to apply her skills to smashing the alibi of a murderer, and in the process change the course of her own career and of criminal investigation in Australia. Her evidence in the case of Samantha Bodsworth resulted in the conviction for murder of Samantha's former de facto husband Michael. As the only forensic palynologist in the country, Dr Milne is now in demand by police forces in several states. Her new work takes her far from the stuffy confines of the laboratory. Though she never planned to get involved in the human side of crime, she has become close friends with the grieving family of Samantha Bodsworth. Australian Story tells the tale of one woman's mission to bring forensic palynology to the forefront of Australian crime fighting.
Episode 30
30 mins
When a light plane crash in 1987 took away Maree Stockman's husband, her son and her father-in-law, she was left with a choice: to take her three young daughters and leave the family farm or stay and plough on. With the small community in the western New South Wales town of Lake Cargelligo rallying behind her, Maree stayed and took on the huge responsibility of running the crop and sheep farm. Described as the most successful and progressive farmer in the district, Maree has challenged the rural housewife stereotype and tackled events that would have seen many crumble. All the while she has maintained a productive farm and even built on her husband's dream by purchasing more land to take their lot to 10,000 acres. Through death, disaster and drought Maree Stockman's daughters have been by her side. And at a time when rural communities are shrinking as the lure of a city lifestyle and career draw the young from the land, Linda, Karyn and Mandy Stockman look set to carry on the family farming tradition and follow in their mother's footsteps.
Episode 31
30 mins
This week's compelling Australian Story explores the unexpected consequences of a catastrophic road accident in the outback 26 years ago. Eight young lives were lost and two very different communities were changed forever - one in Eastern Suburbs Sydney, one in rural Bourke. The accident happened, in August 1979, when a panel van collided with a Landrover, on the Tarcoon Road near Bourke. Three ten year-old boys on an expedition from Sydney's Cranbrook School were killed, along with five young men and women from the Bourke area. The driver of the panel van, Tim Seale was charged with eight counts of 'culpable driving', but subsequently acquitted. Sydney writer, Dani Haski, lost her schoolboy brother Ben in the accident. She says she grew up believing Tim Seale was 'a monster' who had 'gotten off lightly'. Compelled to learn more about the tragedy that blighted her childhood, she began research into the crash and to find out about the people involved. When she returned to Bourke to visit the scene, she met Tim Seale and his life long friend and Bourke identity, Phillip Parnaby who was with him on the day of the crash and she met doctors and emergency service workers, still traumatised by what they witnessed that day. And last year 'in a spirit of healing', with the help of Phillip Parnaby and others, she brought everyone involved together in an extraordinary and powerfully moving 25th anniversary ceremony at the site of the accident. Tim Seale's mother sat next to Dani's mother, Caroline Haski. 'Don't be so hard on yourself' Caroline Haski told Tim Seale as the participants started relating their individual stories and revealing their grief and guilt.
Episode 32
30 mins
Jim 'Hank' Hallinan lived among the gum trees in Banjo Patterson country, near the property Kiley's Run immortalised by the poet. A remote place called Adjungbilly in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, about 30 km from Tumut in southern NSW. One hot summer morning in February 2001 police from the local cop shop went to arrest the 57-year-old on an outstanding warrant. Mentally ill and confused by the uniformed trespassers Jim Hallinan pulled a gun on them. Within minutes the calm of the bush was destroyed and the full might of the NSW Police force called into action. Almost 100 officers descended on the remote property in the small town including a group of elite sharpshooters, the SPG Tactical Operations Unit which had been specially trained in anti-terrorism practices in preparation for the Sydney Olympics. For the next 36 hours Banjo's country became the location for a siege, a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie. The small community of Tumut had never seen anything like this ever before. By the end of those 36 hours, Jim Hallinan was dead and the course of so many lives irrevocably and tragically altered. Jim Hallinan's death has been the subject of a coronial inquiry - and now there are calls for that to be reopened. Until now police have maintained their silence on the shooting. They speak out for the first time with compelling first-hand accounts of what happened over those two days in Tumut and the extraordinary fallout over the past four and a half years.
Episode 33
30 mins
Jim 'Hank' Hallinan lived among the gum trees in Banjo Patterson country, near the property Kiley's Run, immortalised by the poet. It is a remote place called Adjungbilly about 30 km from Tumut in southern NSW. On a hot February morning in 2001, local police went to arrest Hallinan, 57, on an outstanding warrant. Mentally ill and confused by the uniformed trespassers Jim Hallinan pulled a gun on them. Within minutes the calm of the bush was destroyed and the full might of the NSW Police force called into action. Almost 100 officers descended on the property including a group of elite sharpshooters - the SPG Tactical Operations Unit who had been specially trained in anti-terrorism practices in preparation for the Sydney Olympics...
Episode 34
30 mins
Ian Roberts is best known for being the first footballer in Australia to 'come out' as a gay man. He was warmed by levels of public acceptance last year when he and his partner emerged as the runners up on the hugely popular 'Dancing With the Stars" TV program. It was an unlikely incarnation for a man who had been the highest paid footballer in the world with a reputation as one of the toughest men in sport. In 1995, there were banner headlines when he took the big risk of publicly revealing his sexual orientation and weathering the resulting backlash on and off the field. On tonight's Australian Story, he reveals another bombshell - his previously undisclosed involvement with a homeless teenager who became the victim of a major paedophile ring. For a while Ian Roberts himself came under suspicion and was placed under police surveillance. But NSW Police say they quickly cleared Roberts of any wrongdoing and enlisted his support in the investigation. But when the pressures became too great for all concerned, there were tragic consequences...
Episode 35
30 mins
When people appear on Australian Story it sometimes changes their lives in unexpected ways. This program is about what happened when four popular and talented veterans of the program got together to stage a once in a lifetime concert. Banana farmer Barry Singh (now a community orchestra conductor), former child prodigy turned internationally acclaimed pianist Simon Tedeschi, Supreme Court Judge George Palmer (composer) and bootmaker Peter Brocklehurst (tenor) have all featured on the program over the last few years and were inspired by each other's stories All four men are very different characters from very different backgrounds... but all have extraordinary life stories and a passion for music. Australian Story followed Barry Singh and his guest artists during the tense final days leading up to the big event at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre two weeks ago.
Episode 36
30 mins
When a crooked detective rolled over at a major royal commission into police corruption a decade ago, it sent shockwaves through every police force in the country. Trevor Haken worked under cover for nine months, obtaining irrefutable taped evidence against other high-ranking police officers and hardened criminals alike. Haken's actions won him no friends but it did win him criminal indemnity for his crimes of taking bribes from drug syndicate heads buying special police treatment. Once his cover was blown, his wife and four children were separated from him and put into the witness protection programme. He claims he was hung out to dry; that he was not properly compensated for being a whistleblower and other policemen who were implicated with him were never charged. He lives a lonely life in hiding without friends, livelihood or future and he says he still fears for his safety. Ten years on, meeting secretly with Australian Story, he says he regrets not only his years as a corrupt policeman but also his decision to co-operate with investigators...
Episode 37
30 mins
Much to the horror of her close-knit family, who speak for the first time on Australian Story, Kate Holden went from a comfortable middle-class home in Melbourne to the netherworld of drugs and commercial sex. A prolific diary writer, Kate Holden chronicled her journey from a university graduate with an honours degree in classics and literature, to heroin addiction and becoming a sex worker under the name of 'Lucy'. She worked the streets of St Kilda and in high-class brothels, to fund her habit. She has an interesting perspective on her 'career' as a prostitute and how having paid sex with multiple strangers seven nights a week became 'as easy as washing up'. Kate Holden's story is a fascinating look at the darker side of life and how a family came to grips with their daughter's dark odyssey.
Episode 38
30 mins
When John Jarratt sets foot in the USA shortly, he will be trying to capitalise on what has become the crowning movie achievement of his career; the low-budget horror flick, Wolf Creek. At 53, the man that launched a thousand do-it-yourself projects is hoping that director Quentin Tarantino was serious when he said: 'John, I'd like to pencil you in for a movie'. Tarantino, who has described Jarratt as 'my favourite Australian actor', has seen most of the nearly 40 films and TV programs that have made Jarratt very recognisable in Australia. In the words of his Wolf Creek persona Mick Taylor, 'You never know where I might pop up!' Audiences may be perplexed that the much-praised lead role has fallen to the 'Mr Nice Guy' of Australian film and television, but, as Jarratt explains, there is a dark side to his characters. Tonight's Australian Story discovers that there is also a lot of other baggage that has given him material to draw upon to become a character that he describes as 'absolutely abhorrent to me'. His failed marriages and alcohol problems have now been consigned to history. But the enduring legacy of six children from three partners is a source of great contentment as he tries finally, to become rich and famous instead of poor and famous.
Episode 39
30 mins
In July 2005 convicted killer Heather Osland was released from Victoria's Tarrengower Prison. She had endured nearly 10 years of prison for the murder of her husband, Frank - a crime she and her many supporters claim she did not commit. Outrage over her incarceration has prompted dramatic changes to the Victorian domestic homicide laws. Even so, police still claim she's guilty as charged. In Australian Story, for the first time she describes in detail the violence and fear that she and her children suffered before her husband died, what happened the night of his death and about taking her first steps in forging a new life...
Episode 40
30 mins
Koby Abberton has a life most people could only dream of; unlimited travel, surfing the world's best waves and plenty of money. Over the past five years, Abberton, 26, has made more than 200 international trips in pursuit of giant waves. His face adorns billboards worldwide. He's been on more magazine covers than any other Australian surfer. But his path to becoming one of the world's most successful '"big wave'' surfers has been troubled. He grew up in a Housing Commission flat in the Sydney beach suburb of Maroubra. His mother was a heroin addict. The surf became his escape from drugs, poverty and violence. But two years ago, Abberton became entangled in a court case resulting from the death of a notorious Sydney underworld figure Anthony Hines. His older brother, Jai Abberton was acquitted of the murder earlier this year even though he admitted shooting Hines. But although the worst was over for Jai Abberton, Koby was still facing the prospect of jail, as police had charged him with hindering their investigations. He is now awaiting the verdict of the court on November 24. If convicted, he stands to lose much of what he has worked to achieve including his lucrative sponsorship deals.