Compiled by Tess Connery & Jasper Baumann
How LiSTNR’s Secrets We Keep: Shame, Lies & Family host Amelia Oberhardt found peace through the making of the podcast
Amelia Oberhardt went through her whole life thinking she knew her mum … until she passed away.
After her death, the SCA journalist and host of the Secrets We Keep stumbled upon a photo revealing her mother, as a teenager, with a wedding ring, an apparent husband and cuddling an unknown baby.
Her new podcast with LiSTNR delves into the secrets of 1950-1970s Australia where shotgun marriages, hushed abortions and forced adoptions were all commonplace. Ultimately, the story showcases what happens when young women are put in impossible situations, and where those situations leave families decades later.
Podcast Week’s Tess Connery spoke to Oberhardt about the new podcast and what it was like putting such a deeply personal story out into the world.
Amelia Oberhardt
This is quite a heavy topic, when along the way did you decide to make it into a podcast?
Amelia: Over the years I had talked to many friends, acquaintances, and colleagues about my theories on my own mother’s story. Every time I would hypothesis on the idea that she’d had a mystery baby, someone would have a similar story such as rearrangements within families, neighbours that were there one day and gone the next, sisters that turned out to be mothers. From these conversations I quickly realised that there was a much bigger and important story at play.
To expand on that – why did you decide to make a podcast out of this journey?
Amelia: I realised that these women had never really been given a platform to share their stories or their pain. I couldn’t find a long form docu-series anywhere that covered what had taken place in Australia during these times and I thought a podcast could give them a voice. I also hoped my personal story of searching for answers and losing my mum to alcoholism might help generate conversations within other families and help others heal.
What’s it been like putting such a deeply personal story out there into the world?
Amelia: To be honest I have never felt so vulnerable in my whole life but, through the process of making the podcast, I found a real peace with my mum. I have also learned that when you release such a personal story into the world, knowing that people won’t always agree with it, there is personal growth in learning to sit with these uncomfortable feelings.
How did LiSTNR end up on board?
I read the news for B105 and Triple M in Brisbane and we had been discussing podcast ideas for a while. So, I told the LiSTNR news team my story and they suggested a podcast could be healing for me and for the generation of women that were impacted by secret pregnancies, shotgun marriages and forced adoptions.
What are your hopes for the series?
Amelia: My hope is to create a conversation and lift the shame and stigma from this period of Australia’s history when these issues were so prevalent. I want to give a voice to those that suffered and to give my mum some compassion and understanding. Once someone is gone, the opportunity for conversation is also lost. I’ll always regret not having those hard conversations with my own mum and so I hope this podcast can encourage others to have them before it is too late. If it helps just one other family… well it has done its job.
[Listen to Secrets We Keep here]
True crime podcast Dying Rose to debut on NewsCast
NewsCast, News Corp Australia’s on-demand audio arm, has released Dying Rose, a seven-episode true crime podcast following a team of reporters as they investigate the deaths of Aboriginal women across the country.
The podcast details the twists and turns in the two-year investigation conducted by staff of The Advertiser in Adelaide, bringing to light shocking national details of how authorities respond to these cases nationwide.
Hosted by Douglas Smith, Indigenous Affairs Reporter for The Advertiser, as well as his colleagues, State Political Editor Kathryn Bermingham and Reporter Emily Olle, the podcast comes at a time when Australia is preparing for a national referendum on the Voice.
The team crosses state and international borders, speaking to families who say authorities have not listened when they expressed concerns about their loved ones’ deaths.
Releasing Dying Rose under News Corp Australia’s True Crime Australia arm builds on previous podcast series such as the Walkley Award-winning Bowraville.
Get inspired with the new Churchill Collective podcast hosted by Adam Spencer
Hosted by Adam Spencer, the new podcast from The Winston Churchill Trust showcases Australians hailing from all over the country, from all walks of life, who have ventured overseas through a Churchill Fellowship to learn how to break new ground and push new frontiers back home.
Each episode is 20 minutes and released monthly, launching on August 30. Some of the podcast talent includes:
• Chris Boyle: One of Queensland’s longest-standing and most respected child protection experts.
• Petah Cavallaro: A professional opera singer with Opera Australia.
• Kate Cole: An engineer and scientist working to prevent illness and disease for across the construction, tunnelling and demolition industries.
• Helen Glazebrook: A Senior Intelligence Analyst with the Attorney General’s Department in Queensland
[Listen to The Churchill Collective here]
Sports journalists Abbey Gelmi and Georgie Tunny join forces to host Two Good Sports
Two Good Sports tells the stories behind the biggest sporting headlines every Tuesday.
The new podcast from sporting journalists Abbey Gelmi and Georgie Tunny bridges the gap between the action on the field and the stories behind the scenes, appealing to die-hard sports fans and casual observers alike.
Abbey Gelmi is a celebrated television presenter and journalist, who presents sport with Seven News, Melbourne. Abbey has quickly established herself as one of Australia’s leading media figures, having hosted prime-time Olympic Games coverage as well as covering the AFL, Cricket, and Horse Racing.
Georgie Tunny started her journalism career with the ABC where she was part of News Breakfast for four years. She took on roles as sports presenter, weather presenter and as co- host. Georgie’s passion for sport also saw her work as a reporter and producer for ABC Melbourne radio, and the executive producer of Offsiders: Summer Series. She is currently a full-time journalist and co-host of The Project on Network 10.
[Listen to Two Good Sports here]
AFL sides with Amplify to launch their latest vodcast on AFL Play
The AFL has partnered with Amplify to produce The Slice, a vodcast that dives into all things footy, pop culture and life.
The weekly vodcast, airing on the new AFL Play YouTube channel, is hosted by content creator Starr McGowan and AFL media personality Connor Rogers. While centred around Aussie Rules, no topics are off the table for the youth-aimed series. The duo will discuss everything from sport to the struggles of high school, to keeping up with daily demands and juggling life as a teenager.
Michelle Melky, creative director of Amplify, says: “Our strategy to produce The Slice was to select talent, topics and a platform that engages with a youth audience and drives their passion for the AFL.
“Vodcasting is an exciting medium for brands. This dynamic form of content creates an opportunity for brands to showcase their personality, tell compelling stories and establish a connection with viewers. The Slice is an example of how it can be a powerful engagement tool to engage with a fresh audience across multiple platforms.”
A new episode of The Slice will be released every Wednesday at 6:30 pm on the AFL Play YouTube channel, and as a podcast on your favourite podcasting platform.
LiSTNR confirms Luke and Sassy Scott to continue as ongoing podcast series
LiSTNR has announced that after the positive reception of the limited series run of Luke and Sassy Scott, the podcast will continue as an ongoing weekly title on LiSTNR.
After two episodes, the podcast lept into the All Australian Top 150 Podcasts and when they launched their podcast, the boys called out their followers to jump on board if they wanted the series to continue beyond its initial six-week run. The result was an avalanche of five-star reviews and cries for more.
Luke said: “What started as a few fun videos, has exploded into an entire new career as podcasters. We continue to be amazed with the response to our content and are wrapped that this has also extended to our podcast. We’re having so much fun making the podcast that it’s hard to believe we can call this our job.”
Scott said: “We were kind of joking when we asked our listeners to beg if they wanted more than six episodes of the podcast, but we can’t believe that they actually did! We love engaging with the audience for the podcast and their willingness to get involved by sharing stories that are even more wild than what we could ever imagine. We can’t wait to hear and share more; it’s going to be a crazy ride.”
[Listen to Luke and Sassy Scott here]
