How did Alfred Deakin shape so much of the 'Australian Settlement' without ever securing a clear election victory?

On Afternoon Light #195 Georgina Downer speaks with Judith Brett to explore one of Australia's most important but enigmatic figures. Who has always featured centrally in the story of federation, in part because he insisted on writing it himself.

Judith Brett is a political historian and biographer and emeritus professor of politics at La Trobe University. Among her books are Robert Menzies’ Forgotten People, Australian Liberals and the Moral Middle Class, The Enigmatic Mr Deakin, which won the 2018 National Biography Award, and From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award.

Did you know that the most important discovery in the history of treating mental illness was made by an Australian?

On Afternoon Light #194 Georgina Downer speaks with Greg de Moore to tell the world-changing story of John Cade. A survivor of Changi, who risked experiments on himself to establish that lithium could treat bipolar disorder. A breakthrough that has been compared in significance to the discovery of penicillin.

Greg de Moore is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry based at Sydney’s Westmead Hospital. Born in Melbourne of parents who migrated to Australia from Sri Lanka, Greg has lived in Sydney for more than 30 years. He has written or co-written a biography Tom Wills (Allen & Unwin, 2008 & 2011), A National Game: The History of Australian Rules Football (Viking/Penguin, 2008) and Finding Sanity: John Cade, Lithium and the Taming of Bipolar Disorder (Allen & Unwin, 2016).

Do you ever stop to think why there are so many things named Flinders in Australia?

On Afternoon Light #193 Georgina Downer speaks with Grantlee Kieza to tell the remarkable story of Matthew Flinders. The mariner responsible for proving that Australia was an island continent and the adoption of its name, who lived a life of adventure, discovery, and scientific endeavour with his iconic cat Trim.

Award-winning journalist Grantlee Kieza OAM held senior editorial positions at The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Courier-Mail for many years and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his writing. He has since become the author of bestselling and critically acclaimed books like Flinders, The Remarkable Mrs Reibey, Banks, Hudson Fysh, and Sister Viv.