Season 2, Ep 12: The Story of Us
What does it mean to be Australian? Do we have a national story, a national identity; and do we need one if we’re going to heal the wounds of our past and rise to the challenges ahead? Join us for a fascinating discussion with two of Australia’s leading historians, authors and academics about finding and evolving the story of us.
Professor Emeritus Julianne Schultz and Professor Frank Bongiorno have dedicated their lives to observing, understanding and exploring who we are, and how we got here.
In this wonderful conversation we discuss why Federation celebrations fell flat and were a missed opportunity (but the 2000 Sydney Olympics got the masses nationally inspired), the need for a Hamilton-esque Australian musical (and why we may or may not be ready and able for such a thing), and the potential of the democracy sausage as a national symbol to gather around.
In her latest book, Julianne writes that, “Change, ambition and doing things differently are surprisingly hard in a place that is at once cosmopolitan and provincially deferential, young and ancient, in Asia but not of it, without much history yet brimming with it”.
It feels more important than ever right now to have a sense of who we are, what we stand for and how we might come together with all our complexities and contradictions.
Julianne is Professor Emeritus of Media and Culture at Griffith University’s Centre for Social and Cultural Research. She is currently the chair of The Conversation and was the publisher and founding editor of the Griffith Review. Julianne is recognised as a national leader and advocate on matters related to media and culture. And her wonderful new book, The Idea of Australia: A Search for the Soul of the Nation (2022) really showcases her understanding of Australia as a nation.
Frank is a Professor of History at the Australian National University and the president of the Australian Historical Association. He is the author of numerous acclaimed histories including The Eighties and The Sex Lives of Australians. His latest book, Dreamers and Schemers: A Political history of Australia, (2022) is a detailed and entertaining insight into our national moments of political renewal and change.
Join us for a fascinating conversation that makes space for new ways of seeing, and new possibilities for us all.
Show notes
Historical figures we mention
Things you can do
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