Authorised biographies, especially of those in high office, tend to suffer from being overly respectful if not downright deferential. But in the case of Juliet Rieden’s authorised biography of Quentin Bryce, the first female Governor General of Australia, authorisation means co-operation without editorial control.

In this episode, Rieden explains her close relationship with her subject and how she used the trust she had developed with Bryce to get beyond the immaculate façade she presented in public life. The result is a portrait that is revealing of a woman of grit and determination whose country roots  gave her the ability to connect with everyone she met.