Latest Ballarat Podcast Episodes
50: The fall of Singapore (Part 1)
20 Square Blocks - February 23, 2024 07:00 - 28 minutesCharles Edwards was a Prisoner of War in World War 2 spending a total of 1301 days in captivity. His bloody yet compelling story is one of extreme courage, sacrifice and a lot of luck.
49: Black Hill Rescue
20 Square Blocks - January 20, 2024 06:00 - 34 minutesIn 1998, twenty hours into an abduction case involving a 16-year-old girl, Sergeant Peter Anderson was alone, crawling through a 100 year-old mineshaft with a dodgy torch. As he moved ahead through the damp tunnel, he came across a roll of black tape, a shovel and a large roll of plastic. He now...
Mining Superstitions in Colonial Victoria
Tales from Rat City - January 07, 2024 08:10 ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsMiners, and the people of the goldfields of Victoria were often a superstitious lot. Deadly lantern flames, witches cursing cows, and gold hunting with tinder (no, not like that) are just some of the stories that can be found in the history of this region. Credits Research and script: Dr. David W...
EP 48: When We Had Trams
20 Square Blocks - December 19, 2023 13:00 - 25 minutesAndrew Wallace has spent the last 20 years as a dedicated pathways co-ordinator helping students think about their future; but Andrew is also deeply passionate about the past. Serving as a current member and former president of the Ballarat Historical Society, the group actively contributes t...
48: When We Had Trams
20 Square Blocks - December 19, 2023 13:00 - 25 minutesAndrew Wallace has spent the last 20 years as a dedicated pathways co-ordinator helping students think about their future; but Andrew is also deeply passionate about the past. Serving as a current member and former president of the Ballarat Historical Society, the group actively contributes t...
47: The Seagull That Soared
20 Square Blocks - November 20, 2023 06:00 - 27 minutesDavid O’Neill’s Journey, is one woven with words. Crafting rhymes at the age of 15, he turned that skill into a thriving career in journalism and communication. Now Dave is pursuing his dream of becoming a published author. He sat down and chatted with us about his first book "The Seagull that ...
46: Finding Femme
20 Square Blocks - October 19, 2023 13:00 - 27 minutesIf you live in Ballarat, there’s a good chance you know Liana Emerson from somewhere. Maybe the Ballarat National Theatre? Winning this year’s Citizen of the year? Perhaps you know her from her band or possibly the tweed ride? Or maybe it’s from her personal style blog Finding Femme? There’s onc...
Finding Femme
20 Square Blocks - October 19, 2023 13:00 - 27 minutesIf you live in Ballarat, there’s a good chance you know Liana Emerson from somewhere. Maybe the Ballarat National Theatre? Winning this year’s Citizen of the year? Perhaps you know her from her band or possibly the tweed ride? Or maybe it’s from her personal style blog Finding Femme? There’s onc...
45: There and Back Again
20 Square Blocks - September 20, 2023 13:00 - 25 minutesAndrew Sutherland, a multi-talented individual, possessing a unique blend of skills while maintaining an unassuming demeanour. As a poet, playwright, author, singer and lecturer, he has spent the past two decades away from Ballarat, dedicating his time to teaching in China. Now, he has returned ...
44: Another Realm
20 Square Blocks - August 19, 2023 14:00 - 27 minutesMeet Ash Bedford, a distinctive personal trainer whose deep involvement in shamanic healing, sacred medicines, and yoga has not just helped him overcome personal struggles with depression but has also enriched him with invaluable insights to support others on their journey.
EP 43 Timination
20 Square Blocks - July 28, 2023 00:00 - 17 minutesTim Sedgwick is an artist exploring different ways of expression, ideas and techniques in many forms through several artistic fields. “When I had secret birthday wishes, I wished I'd become an artist and create interesting things. My wish has come true. My dream came true. I am having so much fu...
43: Timination
20 Square Blocks - July 20, 2023 00:00 - 17 minutesTim Sedgwick is an artist exploring different ways of expression, ideas and techniques in many forms through several artistic fields. “When I had secret birthday wishes, I wished I'd become an artist and create interesting things. My wish has come true. My dream came true. I am having so much fu...
42: Work Life Balance
20 Square Blocks - June 20, 2023 08:00 - 22 minutesLeigh Ericksen, the innovative mind behind Stoke Design, embarked on a remarkable venture in 2019 by founding a web and design studio. Fuelled by his desire to achieve a better work-life balance and spend quality time with his young family, Leigh was willing to do whatever it took to create a th...
41: AI
20 Square Blocks - May 20, 2023 07:00 - 19 minutesWritten by AI: In this episode, we delve into the intriguing realm of artificial intelligence, featuring professor Peter Vamplew, a highly esteemed authority in the field. It is with great pleasure that we welcome him as our guest on the 20 Square Blocks podcast. Together, we embark on a captiv...
40: Meditation
20 Square Blocks - April 20, 2023 06:00 - 24 minutesMichael Westlake is a master of creating soundscapes, carefully composing auditory experiences that transport audiences to other realms. Yet, amidst the symphony of his creative endeavours, he finds peace in the serene simplicity of silence, often finding solace in meditation to tap into his inn...
Anzacs and Airships: Australian UFO panics in the first World War
Tales from Rat City - April 13, 2023 07:56 ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsThis episode of Tales from Rat City discusses the numerous sightings of ‘Unidentified Flying Objects’ over Victoria in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the increased sense of “airmindedness” as aviation technology took off! Credits Research and script: Dr. David WaldronProduction Assis...
Role Models
20 Square Blocks - February 20, 2023 09:00 - 37 minutesLife is an adventure. Full of excitement, pain and a hell of a lot of mistakes that if we’re wise enough, we learn from. Zane Harris certainly learnt from his.
39: Role Models
20 Square Blocks - February 20, 2023 09:00 - 37 minutesLife is an adventure. Full of excitement, pain and a hell of a lot of mistakes that if we’re wise enough, we learn from. Zane Harris certainly learnt from his.
Black Hill
20 Square Blocks - January 20, 2023 00:00 - 25 minutesBlack Hill, once known by its indigenous name, Bowdun, is according to my guest a beautiful mess. And is it any wonder? For over 180 years the hill’s been mined, stripped bare, bashed about, reshaped and replanted with monterey pines. It’s a place with a rich history if you know exactly where...
38: Black Hill
20 Square Blocks - January 20, 2023 00:00 - 25 minutesBlack Hill, once known by its indigenous name, Bowdun, is according to my guest a beautiful mess. And is it any wonder? For over 180 years the hill’s been mined, stripped bare, bashed about, reshaped and replanted with monterey pines. It’s a place with a rich history if you know exactly where...
Now You Can Eat Father Christmas
20 Square Blocks - December 20, 2022 08:00 - 21 minutesRoland Rocchiccioli was made for a life in theatre. With a career spanning 50 years, he worked on Broadway and The West End with legends like Ingrid Bergman and Debbie Reynolds. He is a stage manager, actor, director, playwright, company manager and broadcaster. He has worked with the impresari...
37: Now You Can Eat Father Christmas
20 Square Blocks - December 20, 2022 08:00 - 21 minutesRoland Rocchiccioli was made for a life in theatre. With a career spanning 50 years, he worked on Broadway and The West End with legends like Ingrid Bergman and Debbie Reynolds. He is a stage manager, actor, director, playwright, company manager and broadcaster. He has worked with the impresari...
Black Summer
20 Square Blocks - November 20, 2022 11:00 - 25 minutesThe Black Summer Bushfires tore through massive areas of Australian bushland in 2019 and 2020. As fires ripped through East Gippsland, 4000 people found themselves trapped in Mallacoota with no way out. Olisama Gibson was one of them.
36: Black Summer
20 Square Blocks - November 20, 2022 11:00 - 25 minutesThe Black Summer Bushfires tore through massive areas of Australian bushland in 2019 and 2020. As fires ripped through East Gippsland, 4000 people found themselves trapped in Mallacoota with no way out. Olisama Gibson was one of them.
Honk For Joe
20 Square Blocks - October 20, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutesYou might have heard of the global movement called "Extinction Rebellion". If not, Joe will fill you in on the details and let you know why groups like this are vital to our survival ...and keep us away from extinction.
35: Honk For Joe
20 Square Blocks - October 20, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutesYou might have heard of the global movement called "Extinction Rebellion". If not, Joe will fill you in on the details and let you know why groups like this are vital to our survival ...and keep us away from extinction.
34: Going For It
20 Square Blocks - September 20, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutesIts not easy throwing caution to the wind and following your dreams.Although some may argue slugging away at a job you have zero passion for isn’t either. But at some point in our lives most of us find ourselves at this exact crossroads. Joe Baxter chatted to me about why he chose the path of mo...
Going For It
20 Square Blocks - September 20, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutesIts not easy throwing caution to the wind and following your dreams.Although some may argue slugging away at a job you have zero passion for isn’t either. But at some point in our lives most of us find ourselves at this exact crossroads. Joe Baxter chatted to me about why he chose the path of mo...
Going For It
20 Square Blocks - September 20, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutesIts not easy throwing caution to the wind and following your dreams.Although some may argue slugging away at a job you have zero passion for isn’t either. But at some point in our lives most of us find ourselves at this exact crossroads. Joe Baxter chatted to me about why he chose the path of mo...
Grainery Lane - Part 3
20 Square Blocks - August 20, 2022 10:00 - 23 minutesFor this third and final episode on Grainery Lane, we chat to audio engineer, Rex Hardware. Rex taught at the school of mines by day, and at night Grainery Lane proved to be an ideal training ground for his students as they worked on some of the earliest known live internet broadcasts, in the l...