S6 E3 Faces Today: Indigenous Artists Return the Gaze

Colonial portraits have long dictated how Indigenous people were seen. But Indigenous artists continue to challenge that power. Through satire, reinterpretation, and resistance, they’re using art to question history—and reshape the future.   In this episode, historians Kate Fullagar and Mike McDon…

S6 E2 Facing Off: From Botany Bay to Aotearoa

In this episode, historians Kate Fullagar and Mike McDonnell revisit Bennelong’s portraits to examine how colonial art encountered Indigenous identity. Indigenous scholar Jo Rey, a Dharug woman, challenges these depictions, questioning their accuracy and impact.   The conversation then expands to …

S6 E1 Facing Empire: A Long History of Representing Others

Bennelong, a Wangal man of the Eora nation, was among the first Aboriginal people to travel to Europe and return. As a crucial interlocutor between his people and the British colonists, he navigated two worlds but the way he was depicted in colonial portraits raises complex questions. In one, he ap…

S6 Introducing: Unsettling Portraits

Can colonial depictions of Indigenous people tell us anything useful about the past?    How do Indigenous people today feel about these enduring images?     Unsettling Portraits is a three-part series exploring the history of portraiture and colonialism, alongside contemporary First Nations respo…

What's coming in 2025? History Lab update and previews with Tamson Pietsch

If you're an old friend, hello and thank you for hitting play. If you're a new listener, welcome. History Lab, as many of you will know, was Australia’s first investigative history podcast.  We've made five seasons so far, and our tagline is exploring the gaps between us and the past. And while …

On the Edge: a layered history of Sydney's South Head

A special History Lab episode with a soundwork that explores the history of Sydney's South Head, followed by an interview with the maker Sinead Roarty and Director of the Australian Centre for Public History at UTS, Tamson Pietsch. About the soundwork: On the Edge The Gap at South Head in Sydney'…

Introducing... Hey History!

We've got a new history podcast for you and the kids in your life, called Hey History!  With immersive, sound rich storytelling and Australia's top historians and experts, dive into key events in our history. Find out... How did First Nations people learn on Country? How does learning happen toda…

6. Last Drinks

In 1887 there were no less than 22 hotels in Darlinghurst. Over the next century and a half, the character, culture and clientele of Darlinghurst pubs evolved. This story explores the impact on Darlinghurst of two episodes of liquor licensing restrictions in NSW: six o’clock closing and the Sydney …

5. Room With A View

Terraces, flats, squats, bedsits, mansions, towers, camps and hostels: in Darlinghurst, housing is a mixed bag. This audio story explores the range of lifestyles afforded by Darlinghurst’s dense diversity of dwellings.  Image: Pad with a View, Kings Cross 1970-71 (Photographer: Rennie Ellis © Re…

4. Pandemic Times

At St Vincent's Hospital, the Sisters of Charity have been delivering care to the people of Darlinghurst since 1857. This audio story visits St Vincent’s during three historic public health emergencies: the Spanish Flu, the HIV/AIDS crisis and COVID-19.  Image: Sister and nurse with home visitat…