Australia & Oceania Audiobooks | Travel

The Brilliant Boy: Doc Evatt and the Great Australian Dissent

Gideon Haigh (Author), Gideon Haigh (Narrator)

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Australia's Dambusters: Flying into Hell with 617 Squadron

Colin Burgess (Author), Steve Shanahan (Narrator)

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Semut: The Untold Story of a Secret Australian Operation in WWII Borneo

March 1945. A handful of very young Allied operatives are parachuted into the remote jungled heart of the Japanese-occupied island of Borneo, east of Singapore, there to recruit the island's indigenous Dayak peoples to fight the Japanese. Yet most speak next to no Borneo languages and know little about Dayaks, other than that they were once headhunters who might kill them on arrival. For their part, some Dayaks have never before seen a white face. This is the story of Operation Semut, an Australian secret military operation launched by the organisation popularly known as Z Special Unit in the final months of WWII. Anthropologist Christine Helliwell has called on her years of first-hand knowledge of Borneo, interviewed more than one hundred Dayak people and all the remaining Semut operatives, and consulted thousands of military and other documents to piece together this astonishing story. Focusing on two of Borneo's great rivers - the Baram and Rejang - the book provides a detailed military history of Semut II's and Semut III's brutal guerrilla campaign against the Japanese, and reveals the decisive but long-overlooked Dayak role in the operation. But this is no ordinary history. Helliwell captures vividly the terrors of the jungle environment into which the operatives are plunged. And she takes us into the lives and cavernous longhouses of the Dayaks on whom their survival depends. The result is a truly unique account of the meeting of two very different cultures amidst the savagery of the Pacific War.

Christine Helliwell (Author), Christine Helliwell, Dorje Swallow (Narrator)

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Convict-era Port Arthur: Misery of the deepest dye

Detailing the development of the prison and its outlying stations, including its dreaded coal mines and providing an account of the changing views to convict rehabilitation, Convict-era Port Arthur focuses in on a number of individuals, telling the story through their eyes. Charles O'Hara Booth, a significant commandant of Port Arthur; Mark Jeffrey, a convict who became the grave digger on the Island of the Dead; and William Thompson, who arrived just as the new probation system started and who was forced to work in the treacherous coal mines. Convict-era Port Arthur will for the first time provide a comprehensive history of Port Arthur, its horrors and its changing role over a fifty-year period. In gripping detail, using the experiences and words of the convicts, soldiers and administrators who spent time there, David W. Cameron brings to life these deeply miserable days.

David W. Cameron (Author), Ant Neate (Narrator)

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Only the Brave: July 1944--The Epic Battle for Guam

For Dutton Caliber's American War Heroes series, a World War II narrative on the American liberation of Guam in 1944, focusing on the twenty days of intense combat as the Marine Corps took the island back from the Japanese. On July 21, 1944, a US Marine division landed on the beaches of Guam, a once sleepy island in the Pacific that had been seized from the Americans by the Japanese in the hours after Pearl Harbor. The Japanese would not be giving Guam up easily. The large enemy force defended the island viciously, punching holes through the American lines, attacking from the flanks, and eventually resorting to banzai suicide attacks. The fighting was bloody and brutal, every bit as deadly as Iwo Jima or Okinawa would be. Now, acclaimed author Don Keith offers up a compelling account of one of the toughest fights of the Pacific War, a battle that led to ten thousand American casualties and four Medals of Honor.

Don Keith (Author), Steven Kearney (Narrator)

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The Falklands War: Recordings from the Archive: A landmark BBC radio collection

1982 was a historic year, a year in which the battle for a small group of islands in the South Atlantic dominated the news. From the initial broadcasts of the growing Argentine threat and Mrs Thatcher's speech to the Commons informing them that a Task Force will sail, to the battles for Goose Green and Port Stanley, the Argentine surrender and the controversial sinking of the Belgrano - all these historic moments, together with all the other important events of the Falklands War, are recorded here, in live BBC Radio News coverage. Released to mark the 40th anniversary of the conflict, this collection of recordings from the BBC Radio News team brings to life the events of the Falklands War and includes speeches and statements from journalists and survivors, as well as key political figures such as Margaret Thatcher and former President of Argentina Leopoldo Galtieri. © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Various (Author), Alexander Haig, Anthony Parsons, Brian Hanrahan, Harold Briley, John Nott, Leopoldo Galtieri, Margaret Thatcher, Max Hastings, Rex Hunt, Various (Narrator)

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The Arrival of the Maori: Legends of Gods, the Creation Myths and Spectacular Culture of Indigenous

Marikoriko, the first woman, and Tiki, her Creator. Hupene, the old Tohunga, squats muttering on the floor beside his carved ancestor Tiki. Tiki is a God who in the dim long ago helped to build the world, and the whose carved image is now supporting the middle pillar of the house. His eyes of pawa-shell, which once commanded in the Ten Heavens and were full of fire and wisdom, glisten out of the silent twilight; they stare far, far into the Darkness, which Hine-nui-te-po is slowly spreading over the world, Hine-nui-te-po, the Great Mother of Night, who at one time was young and beautiful, and gave Life to Nature.'Haere-mai, e te manuhire, Haere-mai' ('Welcome, stranger, welcome'), so speaks the old Tohunga; then, drawing his flax mat around him, he mutters: 'Haere-mai,' and, after a long silence again, as if murmuring to himself, 'Haere-mai'—but soon his eyes follow those of his ancestor again, gazing into the silence of the slowly descending Night, the ancient goddess Hine-nui-te-po, the Great Mother of Rest. Wisdom dwells with the aged, and their muttering is the sign that their wisdom is ripe. Flying from the mouth of the old, it becomes Mother now and wife to the listening ear.

Norah Romney (Author), Robbie Smith (Narrator)

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Walk a War in My Shoes

On the 25th August 1895, Ernest Alfred Hall was born into a pioneering Australian family that lived on a 313-acre property called 'Cloverdale' near the hamlet of Beech Forest, south of the Otway Ranges, some 200 kilometres south west of Melbourne, Victoria. As a child, it seemed he would be destined for the life of a farmer in a country that was just realising its independence through Federation, yet his path was to be diverted by the cataclysmic events that befell Europe and the British Empire. So it was, that one month short of his 20th birthday, Ernest caught the train to Melbourne and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. At only 5' 3' he was never going to be the biggest soldier in the army, but as his father said to him, 'It's not the size of the dog in the fight, son, but the size of the fight in the dog.' Like so many, Ernest Hall embarked for the war to end all wars. Unlike so many, his letters and records survived. This is his story.

Murray Ernest Hall (Author), Geoffrey Boyes (Narrator)

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Mallacoota Time

Highly-regarded creative talent Milena Cifali is an award winning singer-songwriter and poet, who, along with her partner Jim Horvath, lost her home, instruments and beloved parrots in the Mallacoota bushfires on New Year's Eve 2019. Out of adversity, Milena has written a heartfelt book, sharing her personal journey towards recovery, against the larger backdrop of an unprecedented bushfire season and the coronavirus pandemic. The book showcases Milena's considerable talents of writing, poetry, lyrics, and photography to create a stirring and timely work. At its heart is the search for home and its aim to connect with Australia's fire ravaged communities and to provide solace, facilitating healing for all those suffering loss amongst these communities.

Milena Cifali (Author), Milena Cifali (Narrator)

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Differently Abeled: Taking a Stand Making a Difference

Differently Abled tells the true-life story of Graeme Axford life from childhood to adulthood and all the struggles in between. During the schooling years, he suffered from a severe case of dyslexia but this was not diagnosed until early adulthood long after her schooling was over. In great detail, Graeme describes his life journey and struggles which eventually led to him becoming an advocate for others. Over the years he's helped well over 7000 people and dealt with the office of the ombudsman and privacy Commissioner all so Human Rights Commission and put his own petitions and before Parliament. His biggest and lifelong battle was with Child, Youth and Family and the Ministry of Social Development. His life takes some interesting twists and turns as will be revealed.

Graeme Axford, Jane Bissell (Author), Bruce Hopkins (Narrator)

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Kate Kelly

Kate Kelly has always been overshadowed by her famous brother Ned, but the talented young woman was a popular public figure in her own right. This moving biography tells her astonishing story in full for the first time. Kate Kelly, the daring sister of legendary bushranger Ned Kelly, was mysteriously found dead in a lagoon outside the NSW town of Forbes in 1898. At the inquest, Kate's husband Bricky Foster claimed that she was addicted to drink and frequently spoke of suicide. However, a neighbour testified that she had only known Kate to drink since the recent birth of her baby and that she never spoke of suicide. Was it suicide, accident or murder, and why had she changed her name to Ada? While only a teenager, Kate rode as a messenger and decoy for the Kelly Gang, and was present at the gruesome Glenrowan siege. After Ned's execution, she appeared at public gatherings around Australia. Huge crowds came to see her talk and ride, and she helped to popularise the Ned Kelly story as a celebrity in her own right. Then she disappeared from the public eye. Rebecca Wilson is the first to uncover the full story of Kate Kelly's tumultuous life. It will surprise anyone who thought they already knew the story of Australia's most famous outlaw. 'Rarely told in full, this is the fascinating life of one of the great characters in one of our greatest stories.' - Paul Terry, author of The True Story of Ned Kelly's Last Stand 'Thoroughly recommended not only to those who have an interest in bushranging and the Kelly dynasty but anyone who enjoys a well-written and riveting yarn, based on fact.' - Rob Willis OAM, National Library of Australia Oral History and Folklore Collections

Rebecca Wilson (Author), Nicolette Chin, Rebecca Wilson (Narrator)

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The Jerilderie Letter

The Jerilderie Letter By Ned Kelly Narrated by Denis Daly Edward 'Ned' Kelly (1854 -1880) was the last and most celebrated Australian bushranger (outlaw). After being implicated in the shooting of three policemen at Stringybark Creek in October, 1878, Kelly and his gang were declared by the Victorian government to be outlaws, and were the subjects of an extensive man hunt over the next two years. In February, 1879, the Kelly gang staged a daring and highly organized raid on the Bank of New South Wales in the town of Jerilderie. During the occupation of the town Kelly dictated a letter to fellow gang member Joe Byrne, which he wished the editor of the Jerilderie & Urana Gazette to publish. Unable to locate the editor of the paper, Kelly gave the letter to Edwin Living, the accountant of the bank, with a demand that it be printed. However, the letter was not actually published until 1930 In the letter the outlaw gives a detailed explanation of his various grievances and, in particular, attempts to justify his actions at Stringybark Creek. Kelly was captured after an epic shootout at the Glenrowan Hotel in June 1880, and was executed by hanging in Melbourne on 11th November.

Ned Kelly (Author), Denis Daly (Narrator)

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Australia & Oceania Audiobooks in Travel