Capital history 5: Australian history podcasts
Podcasts and history seem to be a match made in heaven. Here are 5 Australian history podcasts that we think are great listening. See below if you are new to podcasts and want some guidance on getting started. Or if you are a seasoned listener please contact us with details of your favourite history podcast. Happy listening.
1. The Eleventh
If the release of the ‘Palace Letters’ by the National Archives of Australia in July 2020 have had you wanting to know more about the history of the dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1975, than this is the podcast for you. Alex Mann an award-winning investigative journalist presents in seven engaging episodes the dramatic series of events and characters that led to The Dismissal — the most tumultuous day in Australia’s political history. As much of this drama’s backdrop is Canberra Capital History Here is huge fan of this one.
2. The Gatherings Order
The State Library of NSW has raked through its archives with historians, public health experts and scientists to tell the story of the 1918-19 pandemic which took an estimated 15,000 Australian lives and millions more around the world. The 5-part series reveals the disruption, loss, and resilience of this time. Stories that are being eerily echoed in the COVID-19 pandemic period.
3. The Burial Files
Another State Library of NSW treasure. This is a nine-part series made as part of the Library’s exhibition Dead Central about the vast Devonshire Street cemetery which was opened in 1820 and in 1901 was resumed to allow for the development of Central Railway Station in Sydney. Great collaborative effort. Leading historians, curators, archaeologists, forensic experts and railway enthusiasts come together to tell the stories of some of the 30,000 people buried there in the 1800’s and the cemetery itself. This includes tales of mischief, madness, questionable activities, grim accidents, and scandalous crimes that provides interesting insights into colonial Sydney.
4. History Lab
History Lab is a collaboration between the Australian Centre for Public History, Impact Studios at UTS and 2SER 107.3. It describes itself as Australia’s first investigative history podcast. The creators aim to tell good stories but are interested in more than the story. History Lab wants the listener to be drawn into the investigative process. They want people to join them in making sense of the traces the past leave in the present. This includes accepting that history is messy: records are patchy, evidence is lost and people disagree about what happened and what it means.
5. The history listen
The podcast version of the ABC Radio National Show that airs Tuesday at 11am (Repeated: Saturday 5.30pm, Monday 12am). It aims to broadcast new and compelling stories from Australia and around the world told by some of our most popular and trusted historians. Most episodes are about 30 minutes long covering a diverse range of subjects including little known aspects of Australian history. Starting in 2018 the podcast has a big library of back episodes so you can probably find episodes on subjects of particular interest.
_________________________________________________________________
Starting out with podcasts
What is a podcast?
Podcasts are on-demand audio content. You can listen to a podcast on your smartphone, iPod, tablet or computer.
How do I listen to podcasts?
The easiest way to listen to a podcast is using your smartphone.
With iPhones, the podcast app is already installed. It’s called “Podcasts” and has a purple icon. If you have an Android phone, you can search in Google Chrome and the podcast will play out of your browser. Within Chrome you can also download, subscribe and manage multiple podcast subscriptions. Alternatively you can download a podcasting app for Android. There are many to choose from, including Pocket Casts, Overcast and Podcast Addict, to name a few.
How to get episodes?
Search for a show by its title. You can choose which episodes to download and if you subscribe to the show, your phone will automatically download new episodes as they become available. If you’re worried about your data limit, you can adjust the settings to make sure podcasts will only download on Wi-Fi.
The same applies to tablets: iPads come with the “Podcasts” app pre-installed. For Android tablets, you can stream, download and subscribe via Google Chrome or Google Assistant.
You can also listen to podcasts on you laptop or desktop computer. Most podcasts have a website where you can listen.
Acknowledgement: The image above is of the Sydney Quarantine Station (1900) which features in the State Library of NSW's great podcast about the 1918-19 pandemic, The Gatherings Order. It comes from the State Library of NSW. Full details here.
Also the advice on podcasts above has been based on SBS’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on podcasts.
Please share. Let’s get the past and present talking.
