Really Interesting Women – Details, episodes & analysis

Really Interesting Women 

The Podcast 

Ep. 146

Yvonne Sampson

Yvonne Sampson has had a career characterized by breaking barriers and setting new standards.  

 She grew up as did many Australians, with a deep love of sport. She studied journalism and her love of sport and her extensive knowledge of it, kept her focussed on the ultimate goal. And her persistence and resilience and patience and mostly ability, created the opportunities that led to her becoming the first female broadcaster to anchor a major sporting event in this country. 

 And her journey has continued... to the point where she is now generally considered one of the best sports broadcasters in the country.

 It was a great discussion. From how her parents discussed her own adoption from a very young age – and how she was so appreciative of that, to finding out about her birth father’s heritage and how he was removed from his family as a baby and the ongoing affect that has on her and the family. Her battles to be accepted as a female sports journalist to becoming a nationally recognised figure that anchored the Rugby League showpiece, the State of Origin. 

 A humble, appreciative, intelligent, knowledgeable person who turned to sports broadcasting because she said she didn’t have a sporting bone in her body. But, I did have to correct her – she forgot to mention that she has represented Australia in dressage!

 Even if you’re not a big sports fan, this is a really informing conversation. 

Head to the link in my bio to find Yvonne’s podcast episode. 

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

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https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/really-interesting-women/id1526764849

Really Interesting Women 

The podcast

Episode 145    Vicki Jellie AM

Vicki Jellie is best known for winning the 2017 Australia Day Local Hero award. Her community has known about her for decades...but we’ve only just caught up.

For those who may be unaware, the Australia Day Local Hero category was introduced to the Australian of the Year Awards in 2003 to acknowledge everyday Australians who make significant contributions to their local communities. And Vicki’s actions over a number of years did just that. Her actions were sparked by personal tragedy and resulted in bringing vital cancer services to regional Victoria, transforming healthcare for thousands. 

Vicki is an incredibly selfless, hardworking, empathetic, community minded person who, the day after her husband tragically passed away, was going through his possessions and discovered his desire to start raising funds to somehow help others by preventing the need to travel 3 hours each way from regional Victoria to get the treatment needed, as he had to do. She realised she now knew what she had to do going forward. 

Nearly everyone said it was impossible to get the support and funding needed for a world class medical and cancer treatment centre in regional Warrnambool. ‘Nearly everyone’ didn’t know Vicki Jellie. 

Head to the link in my bio to hear this fascinating and inspiring conversation.

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friends
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/really-interesting-women/id1526764849

Really Interesting Women - the podcast


Episode 136   Professor Adele Green AC

Adele Green is officially (and often) referred to as "an international leader in the epidemiology of melanoma and skin cancer. Her ground-breaking randomised controlled trial of long-term sunscreen application in an Australian community provides the scientific basis for clinical and public health advice about sunscreen use for skin cancer prevention."

And all that is true. But I always think it's important to put those statements into context to get a true picture of the significance of the statement....

When Adele Green studied medicine, it was with a view to having a significant humanitarian impact. When she started her research, we didn't even know how common skin cancer was. It just wasn't recorded anywhere. Adele saw the problem and sought to do something about it. 

There was a time, not that long ago, when no one knew the burden of skin cancer or how to prevent it - until Adele turned her mind to it. Her work has contributed hugely to the treatment of melanomas. And that treatment has dramatically improved over the last 10 years such that the survival rates for even advanced melanomas has been turned around significantly.

She is also an innovator when it comes to detection and treatment of indigenous cancers. Another significant contribution includes insight into risk factors for ovarian cancer.

Professor Adele Green has received international awards and is a recognised advocate for cancer control, including through longstanding membership on national and international scientific and advisory councils. She has trained and mentored a generation of epidemiologists and clinician-scientists. 

Have a listen to our conversation by heading to the link in my bio.

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friends
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/really-interesting-women/id1526764849

Ep. 46   Alison Battisson

Alison Battisson is the founder and Director Principal of the organisation, Human Rights For All. Their focus is to ensure basic human rights and humanitarian treatment for refugees and the stateless.  
Most of us have very strong opinions on this topic but realistically -  how many of us actually know what happens from a legal and humanitarian perspective. For example, did you know that in Australia there is no right to legal representation so it's up to organisations like HR4A to work pro bono (free of charge!) to give assistance or the refugees sit there in mandatory detention at the whim of the government. For years and years.
Australia is the ONLY country in the western world which has mandatory detention for people without visas. I'd say normally that we're keeping pretty unusual company in that regard.....but we have no company on this one. No one else treats refugees and asylum seekers like this.
Listening to Alison is an education. I wish it wasn't. If we all new about this I reckon a lot of people would be very upset. Consider this....the family from Sri Lanka who became known as 'The Biloela Family'  were being sent home and were literally in a plane back to Sri Lanka and the public found out what was going on and objected. Vociferously.  The plane was forced to turn around mid flight and return to Australia!
Australia has attracted international condemnation by the UN of its treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. Alison can explain why. It's not conjecture or hear say. It's not even the words of 'informed' social or media commentators. It's from someone who has their 'boots on the ground'. Every day. 


If you want to assist and donate to this cause, go to www.hr4a.com.au and follow the link.

Trigger warning: this episode contains references to self harm and assault

#Reallyinterestingwomen #RIW #alisonbattisson #hr4a #refugees #asylumseekers #UNcondemnation #AJL20 #Biloelafamily

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

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Ep. 45 Heather Ellis

Heather is a motorbike adventurer who survived contracting AIDS in the early 90's. When you didn't.

Her remarkable solo adventures from South to North Africa Africa and then along the silk roads from Western Europe, Russia  and Asia have been captured in her two best selling books (below).

Prior to her silk roads trip she was given the horrendous diagnosis. At that time it was a death sentence. But she chose to take the trek anyway and it became a spiritual journey for her.

It's a tale of remarkable resilience and determination. Can you imagine travelling solo for months with that diagnosis hanging over your head?

Heather's info:
www.heather-ellis.com

Books:
Ubuntu: One Woman’s Motorcycle Odyssey Across Africa
Timeless On The Silk Road 

#Reallyinterestingwomen #RIW #heatherellis #HIV #AIDS #resilience #determination #livelife #silkroad #ubuntu @richardinstagraham

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friends
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Ep. 44 Jane Caro AM
 Jane Caro is a Walkley Award winning columnist, author, broadcaster, documentary maker, feminist and social commentator. She spent 35 years in the advertising industry, published twelve books, including three novels and has appeared frequently on ABC’s Q&A, Sunrise, The Project, The Drum. She was also a regular panellist on the ABC’s top-rating show on advertising “The Gruen Transfer.”  She is knowledgable, engaging, funny and authentic. For those reasons she is highly sought after as a speaker, workshop facilitator and an MC by a wide range of both private and public sector organisations. 
She always has a lot to say on a broad range of topics. And it's really worth listening to. 

#Reallyinterestingwomen #RIW #janecaro #gruentransfer #feminism #equality #Saatchi #ABC #Unbreakable #Accidentalfeminist #gracetame #australianoftheyear #ageism 

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friends
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/really-interesting-women/id1526764849

Ep. 43 Dr Alice Gorman
Alice Gorman is one of the world's leading authorities on space archaeology.   She blogs as 'Dr Space Junk' and her research on space exploration has been featured in National Geographic, New Scientist, and Archaeology magazine. She is a faculty member of the International Space University's Southern Hemisphere Space Program in Adelaide.

She started life as an archaeologist and then, after a gruelling day of field work and while having a beer and  looking up at the night sky, she had her lightbulb moment. That beer changed her life. Well....there were a few other factors as well but you know what I mean. 

We discussed all manner of things.....space junk, Elon Musk, proprietary rights to space, extra terrestrial life, fictional WW1 fighter pilot Biggles. Everything. 

Everyone I reckon has a bit of a fascination with space. If you're one of those people, you'll enjoy this. Even if you're not, have a listen. Like me, you'll probably learn quite a bit.

Her book is 

Dr Space Junk vs The Universe: Archaeology and The Future

https://www.booktopia.com.au/dr-space-junk-vs-the-universe-alice-gorman/book/9781742236247.html

#Reallyinterestingwomen #RIW #alicegorman #drspacejunk #nasa #spaceprogram 

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friends
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Ep. 42  Antoinette Braybrook
Antoinette Braybrook is an Aboriginal woman who was born in Victoria on Wurundjeri country. She left school at 15 and, after a period of time finding where she needed to be, she went to university as a mature age student and completed a law degree and was subsequently admitted as a legal practitioner. It was then that she decided to dedicate her life’s work to giving a voice to victims of family and domestic violence, in particular, indigenous women. And by becoming the CEO of Djirra, an organisation dedicated to that cause, she has made, and continues to make, a real difference in the face of, at times, real indifference. She was awarded the 2015 Law Institute of Victoria: Access to Justice/Pro Bono Award, the 2017 Inspirational Women of Yarra Award, and a 2015 Australian Centre for Leadership for Women award for Sustaining Women’s Empowerment. In 2020, she was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

Read about Antoinette's organisation and the great work it does
www.djirra.org.au


Trigger warning: episode contains references to domestic violence

#Reallyinterestingwomen #RIW #djirra #antoinettebraybrook #enddomesticviolence #resilience #determination #indigenous #dedication #richardinstagraham 
@richardinstagraham @djirravic  @antoinette_braybrook

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friends
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Ep. 41   Prue Gilbert

Prue Gilbert is a lawyer, human rights advocate and mother....and she combines her vast experiences in all three areas to improve the lives of thousands.

Marie Claire called her the “the anti-discrimination guru”. Vogue named her a “Game Changer” and her business, Grace Papers, won the Australian Human Rights Business Award for addressing pregnancy related discrimination.

At its heart, her company coaches those navigating the parental leave journey from pregnancy, parental leave and returning to work. Both employees AND employers. She outlines the enormous benefits to both when they get the flexible work practices right. 

I wish I'd had this available when we were going through this journey - I've selfishly outlined a bit of my own story in this episode. 

Grace Paper and Prue Gilbert are proving to be a game changer. For everyone. And the covid work from home requirements has just emphasised what Prue has been saying for years. Now the benefits are obvious to everyone. But they weren't when Prue started her journey. 
Another pioneer really worth a listen. 

www.gracepapers.com.au

#Reallyinterestingwomen #RIW #Gracepapers #Pruegilbert #socialjustice #culturechange #genderequality #discrimination #flexibleworkplace #aflwequality

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

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Ep. 40 Rachel Doyle SC

Rachel is one of the country's most senior female barristers. She has taken the extraordinary step of writing a book (Power and Consent) which directly addresses the allegations of sexual harassment by 6 former Judges Associates against a former High Court Judge, Dyson Heydon.

And the current Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice Susan Kiefel, not only believes these women, she has personally apologised to each of them for their appalling treatment. It's all unprecedented in the legal world. That's what makes this turn of events so fascinating and timely.

Rachel explores these events through the prism of two vital topics…power and consent, as the title of the book would imply. And what she finds makes for a sobering discussion.

We explore how we could possibly get to this situation and,  some answers she proposes. They’re simple….and brilliant. And having been a barrister for over 25 years, her views and thoughts are worth listening to. 

Rachel's book, Power and Consent can be found at Booktopia:
https://www.booktopia.com.au/power-consent-rachel-doyle/book/9781922464125.html?dsa=s1-east&gclid=CjwKCAjwqvyFBhB7EiwAER786ReMxFjszmslAhonB05q0W_6mzbEFdR4pOZa-Z-1AOFLQVPkuoz4vhoCJeMQAvD_BwE

#Reallyinterestingwomen #RIW #racheldoyle #powerandconsent 

Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history.

Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friends
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/really-interesting-women/id1526764849