Australian Story

“Australian Story” is a weekly documentary series aired on ABC Television that has been running since 1996. The show highlights a wide array of Australians from various walks of life and levels of fame. Notable figures featured include Hazel Hawke, rugby league coach Wayne Bennett, Australia’s first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard, comedian and 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. The series also shines a light on lesser-known Australians, such as Sabina Wolanski, a Holocaust survivor chosen to represent the six million Jews who perished, at the opening of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

The program is unique in that it lacks reporter narration; instead, the stories are conveyed by the subjects themselves and those close to them, including friends, family, colleagues, and critics. The goal is to offer a diverse and multifaceted portrayal of contemporary Australia and its people, both famous and obscure.

This personal storytelling approach has been highly acclaimed, earning the program numerous accolades, including seven Walkley Awards for journalistic excellence and four consecutive Logie Awards.