Jim McCauley - sand sculptor and traveller

In this week’s guest on the Hot Seat, you’ll meet Jim McAuley, an interesting Launceston local who moved here from Victoria a decade ago in remarkable circumstances. Jim also tells Chris Sayer of a compassionate connection with Nepal and Tibet that has led to a Launceston retail store with a holist…

Carl Treasure - guitarist with the Bad Dads Orchestra

Carl Treasure is the son of well-known local identities Keith and Pearl Treasure, and it was perhaps inevitable that Carl has taken up music and the guitar, and one of his current bands is playing in the very popular Bad Dads Orchestra. Carl tells Chris Sayer about how he has developed his guitar-…

Megan Dick - the Glover Art Prize

Megan Dick is the Curator of the Glover Art Prize - the prestigious Tasmanian landscape art award. Megan, a Tasmanian, has been in her current role for 7 years. She returned home to Launceston following a career in the art world in Sydney. Her roles have included gallery management, artist represe…

Will Cassidy - L'ton Chamber of Commerce

Will Cassidy is the Executive Officer of the Launceston Chamber of Commerce. He is already known to listeners as a regular guest on the Long Lunch program providing a regular update on the activities of the Chamber.  Will started his career working for Birchalls, where he spent over 20 years in va…

Jo Pearce - home from W.A. for a Riverside High School reunion

Jo Pearce spent her early Iife in Launceston and now calls Albany in Western Australia home. She has maintained her Tasmanian connections and has been a regular visitor over the years. She was recently in Launceston as the lead organiser of a reunion of school friends, who were foundation pupils o…

Lucie Thorne - singer, songwriter, recording artist

Singer/songwriter Lucie Thorne grew up in Launceston but now lives in Melbourne, and has released many albums of original music over the past two decades. Chris Sayer caught up with Lucie during a recent return to her hometown, and they chatted while sitting in her childhood home in West Launcesto…

Evan Carydakis - saxophone musician and smooth jazz producer

Launceston musician Evan Carydakis first played saxophone on-stage over 25 years ago, but only released his first recording last year. Evan has now released a new song that is getting airplay on smooth jazz radio stations across America. He tells Chris Sayer about how he got started in music, and …

Paul A.C. Richards, AM - author, artisan and nuclear medicine specialist.

In this Hot Seat, you’ll meet author and artisan Paul Richards. Through a strong association with the Launceston General Hospital, Paul curates artwork around the hospital corridors and has written extensively about the history of the hospital and our local region. However, Paul’s background is in…

Shirley McLaughlin - author

Shirley McLaughlin was born and raised in country Victoria, and began her working life as a volunteer for a charity in Hong Kong, before having writing and program roles at ABC Radio and the Ten television Network. She also worked in a variety of positions for a wide range of businesses in Australi…

Noel Chung - chef and restaurant owner

This “Hot Seat” will no doubt invoke memories of one of Launceston’s longest established restaurants – The Canton.  Chris Sayer’s guest is Noel Chung, who took over the Canton from his father-in-law in the 1980s, and has now retired to leave the restaurant to his daughter. Noel reflects on six dec…