Australian Story

Australian Story is a national weekly documentary series, produced and broadcast on ABC Television. Since 1996 Australian Story has featured many Australians from diverse backgrounds and reputations. Examples include Hazel Hawke, rugby league coach Wayne Bennett, Australia’s first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard, comedian & broadcaster Red Symons, actor and author William McInnes, former Governor-General Peter Hollingworth, fashion designers Sass & Bide, art-activist Van Rudd, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin and actress and singer Belinda Emmett. Lower profile Australians have also been profiled, such as Sabina Wolanski who was the Holocaust survivor chosen to represent the six million dead at the opening of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

There is no reporter narration – the stories are ‘told’ by the profile subjects and other individuals such as friends, family, colleagues and critics. The program aims to present a varied and contrasting picture of contemporary Australia and Australians, both known and unknown.

But on the whole, the personal approach to story-telling has been very well received with the program winning many professional awards including seven Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism and four consecutive Logie Awards.